Download video from Magazines/Billboard: MMCC

1.         Imagination is one key to success today. Had we never imagined things, things would not have come up as they have today.Today I read this article on Indiatimes.com/ InfoTech Tab about Mobile Multi-Colour Composite (MMCC) 2D-Barcode.Now it looks like just another IT dictionary term which has a complex name but a simple function and utility. It goes like this……

 2.         Ideate(…means imagine) a magazine with an advertisement of a mobile phone manufacturer with a bar code printed something like inset. From this bar code, can u think of downloading ringtones, product info, Video? Can you? Puzzled, I am sure. This has no more remained a subset of imaginativeness, it has become unfeigned today with this technology, which is known as Mobile Multi-Colour Composite (MMCC) 2D-Barcode. 

3.         The MMCC is a color 2D barcode designed for storing high capacity data on printed media and displays, tailor made for camera mobile phone applications. Using the MMCC, the user can retrieve digital content to their camera mobile phone directly from the barcode by capturing an image of the barcode and decoding it on their mobile. According to the scientists, by taking a photo of the barcode, users can download complex information, such as videos, voice recordings or text, instantly to their mobile.

4.         Why named 2D Bar code ? 2D means 'two dimensional'. 2D barcodes comprise more information than conventional one dimensional linear barcodes. Conventional barcodes get wider as more data is encoded. 2D barcodes make use of the vertical dimension to pack in more data. Data is encoded in both the horizontal and vertical dimensions. As more data is encoded the size of the barcode can be increased in both the horizontal and vertical directions thus maintaining a doable shape for easy scanning.

 5.         Advantage of 1D over 2D : Although 1D barcodes hold a more belittled amount of data it is 'spread' over the whole height of the barcode. The barcode contains a high degree of redundancy. This means the barcode can be read even with considerable degradation. If your application needs only a few characters (up to about 15) then a 1D barcode is probably the best solution. Increasing the height of a 1D barcode does not increase its capacity but it does increase its redundancy thus making it more resistant to abasement and obliteration and making it easier to scan.

6. In Japan the 2D Barcode has even been placed on Billboards(picture inset).[Source: http://cootieshot.wordpress.com] 

The visitor takes a picture of the Barcode on the Billboard and their phone brings up more information about the deceased person, pictures of them or any other content the family or pre-deceased and now occupant so chooses. In spain they are being used to contain detailed train maps to make travel easier and most interestingly in a recent Holland Inovation Fair placed a code on each visitor’s badge and each presentor’s tent. The visitors didn’t have to exchange business cards if they wanted to learn more about eachother’s ideas. They simply scanned the other person’s barcode and their information was sent to their cellphone through SMS.

 7.         As on date, Bartender comes as one of the leading software’s in creating 2D barcodes.I could not find any thing on the price aspect as to how much it costs today. So next what? Download something from your news paper or download movie trailers from movie magazines……grrrrrrrr8……Future is bright…………. For now keep waiting till the technology reaches your doorstep.

THE LINK : BJP & OPEN SOURCE!!

1. Rajnitee and IT ?Do they share a relation in our country? Do they meet anywhere in Indian scenario?Have you ever heard a technical IT buzz word shooting from any of the mantri’s mouth.I am sure in most cases the answer would be NO. 

2. Recently I read this article at the http://infotech.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4272163.cms wherein it adverted that Mr L.K.Advani has said that if his party comes to power, it will actively promote opensource software and internet telephony. Now irrespective of  whether Mr Advani knows what open source software is or not,or whether he just recited what he was told to by IT savvy speech writer,the good good news is that IT is buzzing now in politics.

 3. The power of open source software is still lying completely unexploited in our country for most of us don’t know what opensource has in store for us.All paid softwares ex any Software developer viz Microsoft,Corel etc to name a few has an equivalent in opensource costing free which unfortunately now one is aware.Did you still not understand ? Read on for what is open source? 

4. Open source software (OSS) is defined as computer software for which the source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are provided under a software license that meets the Open Source Definition or that is in the public domain. This permits users to use, change, and improve the software, and to redistribute it in modified or unmodified forms. It is very often developed in a public, collaborative manner. The term open source software originated as part of a marketing campaign for free software. A report  states that adoption of open source software models has resulted in savings of about $60 billion per year to consumers.(…thanks wiki) 

5. So Mr L K Advani’s party seems to be the first to realize the power hidden in this.Good!Isn’t it…….Now why open source doesn’t seem to be a success in India?One line answer….may I attempt?........”because Microsoft’s Cracked Windows Xp and Vista are available for free in any gali,mohalla of the Hindustan.So the next motto for a political party would be to crack those crackers!!!!!!!!!!For now its INDIA SHINING!

PictBridge

1. Any time we wish to take  a printout of clicked pics from our camera,what do we do?Either insert the memory stick directly into the card reader of lap top/pc or we connect thru the regular interface cable.In both the cases,we need to have a computer as a via media.So to kill this form factor,PictBridge has arrived.Whats PictBridge?...read on....

2. PictBridge is a technology that was created to allow the user to transfer pictures from a camera phone (or digital still camera) to a printer without a PC or image-editing software. PictBridge makes printing digital photos easier and more accessible. A number of manufacturers have direct printing  methods on the market today. The drawback is that some of these direct printing methods are proprietary, which means that you can only print your pictures when everything is provided by the same manufacturer.Its formal name is "Standard of Camera & Imaging Products Association CIPA DC-001 — 2003 Digital Solutions for Imaging Devices".

3. PictBridge is typically implemented using Universal Serial Bus ports and the USB protocol. PictBridge-capable printers typically have a USB Type A receptacle which is then connected by cable to the USB port of a PictBridge-capable digital camera (typically a Type Mini-B). The user then uses the camera to select the pictures to print, which the printer then retrieves from the camera and prints. 

4. The good thing is that it is not just limited to printing from Camera's,it can be a mobile which is PictBridge enabled.The limitation to use this is both the devices have to be PictBridge enabled.As on date most of the high end Canon brand models are supporting this PictBridge.Just like Lightscribe logo the PictBridge too has its small green label as shown in set.

5. Just a start on the right road.......FUTURE IS BRIGHT...for now we have to bear with limitations and enjoy what we have.

Be CAREFUL

1.         We all drive our respective vehicles daily from one point to another without agnizing what risk we are always at. Disregardless of how we drive, what matters most is how others drive.3-4 months back on way from Gurgaon to Noida I saw this mangled, mutilated remains of a so  called Car(INSET). A small mistake, be it in form of being tired on a long drive or speaking on phone or just driving casually would lead one’s soul out of this globe.

2.         The sole purpose of posting this is to promote the tag “DRIVE CAREFULLY”.

Fight of the Browser's : ACID3 TEST

1.         I recollect the first interaction with the web with the services of Internet Explorer 3.0 some time in 1997.Then there was a alternative of Netscape Navigator 3.0 only.So between the two in those days,there was sinewy competition and I would appreciate that the choice between the two mattered owing to individual’s personnel choices. I liked browsing with Netscape Navigator and Ujjwal (my only IT savvy friend then…) liked it with IE 3.0. 

2.         So there were no standards then to decide upon which one is actually better. Time graduated to the early 2000’s and in came a lot many browsers each arrogating to be the best amongst lot. These included Amaya, Konquerer, Phoenix, Galion and the list is endless. Anyone interested in knowing about these unheard names today may just google and inquire about them…..now on way to superannuation!!! 

3.         Those which endured the decade long fight of the browsers included Safari, Opera, Mozilla to name a few and few new one’s to include Google Chrome, Flock. 

4.         Now after a decade of evolution , few standards spranged up to finally one make adjudicate about which one is actually better.The standard I am going to mention is ACID3 TEST. Nothing to do with Sulphuric or Hydrochloric acid. 

5.         Acid3 is a test page from the Web Standards Project that checks how well a web browser follows certain web standards, especially relating to the Document Object Model and JavaScript.

 

6.         When successful, the Acid3 test displays a step by step increasing percentage counter with colored rectangles in the background. I tried on mine ie Google Chrome and it scored 78/100(Picture In Set).The percentage displayed is based on the number of sub-tests passed. It is not representing an actual percentage of conformance as the test does not keep track of how many of the tests were actually started (100 is assumed). In addition to these the browser also has to render the page exactly like the reference page is rendered in the same browser. 

7.            Further to this I inquired about why Chrome scored 78,it was because prior to conduct of test it was supposed to be set to its original default settings which I did not do. So I surfed few forums on what has been the score of other browsers. This lead me to conclusion that as on date Chrome scores over others at least in ACID3 test and being a sincere Chrome user my self...believed the same quickly....thanks for wiki for info!