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The average domestic broadband internet speed in Qatar is approximately 1.5mbps (megabits per second, or ‘mb’). Qtel’s fastest package, at an eye-watering QR600 a month, is 8mb. South Korea, for example, has an average speed of 12mb and its government last month unveiled a national plan to make speeds of 1,000mb (1 gigabit per second, or ‘gb’) available domestically by 2012. One South Korean ISP offers a 100mb home package for the equivalent of QR70 a month, making Qtel’s 8mb package over 10,700% more expensive by comparison. A speed of 1gb would allow the downloading of a standard movie in 12 seconds, and a standard music album in 1/20th of a second.
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Ò W HotEl PlEasE, KittÓ
Software giant Google has been undertaking tests in California with cars that drive themselves. The cars are using Artificial Intelligence to make themselves aware of obstacles and respond as a human driver would to road conditions. The cars have always had a technician behind the wheel, in case the computer malfunctioned, but the test has had surprising results. Google drove seven cars for 1,000 miles with zero human assistance and with one accident – when one of the test cars was rear-ended at a red light. “Robot drivers react faster than humans, have 360-degree perception and do not get distracted, sleepy or intoxicated,” said Google. Engineers say the technology could double the capacity of roads (something that would be most welcome in Doha) by allowing cars to drive more safely while closer together. Does this mean we’ll be seeing autonomously driven cars in the future? It’s too early to say, but Google is committed to making the technology safe. Our guess is that it’s only a matter of time, but it’ll be some time before there is a robot that can cope with typical Qatari driving.
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Stuff Middle East reports that mobile phone firm Altek has just announced the Leo, a mobile with a whopping 14-megapixel camera. The Leo is set to launch in February 2011, and brings with it 720p video footage capability and an Android OS. Other specs include Xenon and LED flash and proper optical zoom (unlike the non-moving digital version in most mobiles) as well as blink and smile detection. There’s also a 3.2in touchscreen with 3.5G capabilities. The OS is handled by Android 2.1 (a 2.2 update is expected before it starts shipping). So a smart OS and high-end camera spec? Another big player in the smartphone wars, for sure. The Leo will be landing in Qatar in early spring, priced at a very user-friendly QR1,900.
Compiled by John Hunt
Qatar Today November 10
11/1/10 7:37:26 PM