Vaio Wimax !

Couldn't believe it. Yes it is true- Finally, A good laptop with a Wimax radio in it. Sony Vaio, my fav brand, soon launching its P series (the smallest and the cutest one that also fits in the back pocket) with the wimax enabled radio. It is an smart and clever move! I mean, it has had to come from someone. I have had enough of Intel's rant of selling wimax enable laptops for years. It is smart in a way that it is future ready. The type of device P series is; It was hardly going to survive without a high speed Internet connection. I will not buy a 8 inch wide computer to watch movies or listen to music for a price tag of 999$. It would always be "Internet on the move" sort of gadget.

P model is the smallest one in Vaio series. It boast 8 inch screen and weigh only 1.8 pounds. 256 GB hard disk with 2GB RAM makes it almost as powerful as any bulky desktop. It has Intel Pentium processor which guzzles, highest in the class, 1.8 Ghz of processing power. It has in-built GPS, which is perfect for traveling.

Although wimax footprint is very small as of today, but it is rapidly expanding. Wireless technology needs some time to penetrate , which also depends upon the availability of low cost access devices in the hands of customer. GSM is a good example. Still the most successful wireless technology after AM radios on earth. This is because GSM handset are available for as low as 20$. Sony VAIOs move will pump a fresh breath of air into the Wimax ecosystem. This is good for both Sony as well as for the Wimax. I hope other laptop vendors will follow the suite. Find more information here

Will be back soon

I have been quite for a while. I will be back soon with some interesting readings.

New tools in the market

I am a Matlab programmer by heart. I prefer to code my algorithms in Matlab to quicken the development. Those who are not familiar with Matlab - It's a tool to simulate mathematical equations. The convenience of coding in matlab manifest itself in the form of floating point implementation. It is really easy to do anything that you think with out worrying about underflows and overflows of variables (DSP engineer will understand this). But then Matlab engineer are flogged with constant criticism of being "Academics". The reason for this is that matlab algorithms can't be ported directly into the target system. They have to undergo a cycle of either conversion to ANSI C, C++ or assembly. And sometimes it is impossible to convert them at all due to implicit use of square root and division operations.

Much to the relief of DSP engineers; Xlinix has introduced two tools that will enable the Matlab Engineers to convert their design directly into the HDL languages like VHDL and Verilog. These two tools are- System Generator and Accel DSP. System generator works with Simulink. The design, first, needs to be implemented with Simulink blocks. Then these blocks are replaced with Xilinx blocksets (some 90 enriched blocks are provided). The blocks are fixed point in nature. This exposes any design deficiencies in the beginning itself. That saves an enormous amount of cost in terms of design iterations. After fixing the timing issues , HDL code is generated by just press of a button. It is as easy as it sounds. This reduces the design to implementation process from months to weeks.

Accel DSP is a similar tool; Only difference is that it works on m files. It takes the raw M files and convert the instructions/commands into fixed point format. There are certain guideline that it requires to be followed, while coding, for smooth conversion.

Of course these two tools comes with a hefty price tag. System Generator costs around 1000$ and Accel DSP cost around 5000$. For more visit Xilinx website www.xilinx.com But I must say, Xilinx has worked hard to give a heavy dividend to the DSP engineers who leverage Xilinx chips in their hardware. But recently, I visited the Mathworks website and found out that Simulink has also come up with its own HDL coder, like system generator, which is independent of any target device. This is even more cool because I think simulink add on toolbox comes at a cheaper price then product like System Generator.

Neways, they are nice tools to check out !

New Internet surfing device on the streets

It's been quite a while since we have talked something about wireless. Actually today, I came across a very cool device that I can't wait to blog about. I have been searching for a wireless keyboard for my HTC Touch. I always find it difficult to write with the stylus. The keypad is too small to hit the right key in the first shot. A small wireless keyboard was always on my wishlist for quite a some time.

But not anymore;Datawind has launched a cool internet surfing device "PocketSurfer2". It is a hand held device that also fits easily into your handbag or belt. It has a transreflective 640X240 backlit display that gives an awsome surfing experiance- better than the mobile phones. Built-in GPS receiver, 4 hours active usage, 4 days standby Full QWERTY backlit keyboard and a Mouse pointer are just few of the coolest feature it has. With under 7 seconds of web page loading time, it will surely be a show stopper.

Pocketsurfer2 comes with a pre-loaded 20 hours per month internet surfing subscription. Oh, bye the way, did I tell you that it uses GPRS for the internet access? You may have to walk miles to find a Wi-Fi hot spot but finding a GPRS network- well, asking such thing is so fatous. It is ready to use right out of the box. Plus there is option for monthly subscription at a very nominal rates.

It cost 11,900 Rs in India (ca. 220 $). Check it out at http://www.datawind.com