Create new file

gksudo gedit /etc/hal/fdi/policy/11-x11-synaptics.fdi

Paste the following code into the file and save it.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<deviceinfo version="0.2">
 <device>
   <match key="info.capabilities" contains="input.touchpad">
       <merge key="input.x11_driver" type="string">synaptics</merge>
       <merge key="input.x11_options.SHMConfig" type="string">On</merge>
       <merge key="input.x11_options.EmulateTwoFingerMinZ" type="string">90</merge>
       <merge key="input.x11_options.VertTwoFingerScroll" type="string">1</merge>
       <merge key="input.x11_options.HorizTwoFingerScroll" type="string">1</merge>
       <merge key="input.x11_options.TapButton1" type="string">1</merge>
       <merge key="input.x11_options.TapButton2" type="string">3</merge>  <!--two finger tap -> middle clieck(3) -->
       <merge key="input.x11_options.TapButton3" type="string">2</merge>  <!--three finger tap -> right click(2). almost impossible to click -->
   </match>
 </device>

</deviceinfo>

Restart hal and enjoy multitouch touchpad.

sudo /etc/init.d/hal restart

synclient -m 100

Source: Ubuntu Snippets

-- This Post Multi-touch gestures in Ubuntu (least some of em…) is Published on Devils Workshop .

Apple claim’s almost twice speed in web page and application loading. Well real life performance has yet to be checked but as per the word in space is that processor and ram has been bumped up. Here are the key differences compared with iPhone 3G (2008 Edition).

Speed

• Almost twice in web page and application loading

Connectivity

• Three band UMTS/HSDPA.
• Four band GSM/EDGE.
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g.
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR

Camera

This is one of the strong points of the iPhone 3GS, according to Apple. They increased the resolution to 3 megapixels, which—judging from the shots they showed-seems much better quality under all conditions.

• 3 Megapixels sensor.
• New camera, with auto focus, auto exposure, and auto white balance.
• You can also tap to focus, changing white balance in the process. That is really neat, if you ask me.
• Special macro and low light modes.
• The camera also supports photo and video geotagging.
• Any application can access all the camera functions now.
• It supports video, 30 frames per second VGA with auto focus, auto white balance, and auto exposure.
• You can trim the video shot just using your finger, then share it via MMS, email, MobileMe and YouTube.

Graphics

• The new iPhone 3GS includes new 3D graphics support in hardware. This means faster and more complicated 3D games.
• Same 3.5-inch widescreen multitouch display, but this time it has a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. I wonder if it will withstand a full frontal cheese pizza attack.

New special features

• It has a magnetometer, which works with a Compass application, third parties, and it is integrated into the new Google maps app, showing your orientation with a small semitransparent cone.
• Voice control. You can now talk with your iPhone, Enterprise-style. You can instruct it to play similar songs to the one you are playing, or call people.
• Nike + support built in.
• Supports accessibility features, like zooming on text, inverting video, and voice over when you touch whatever text is on screen.

Battery life

• One of the more important new features is the increased battery life.
• According to Apple, you will get up to 12 hours of talk time on 2G and 5 on 3G, with a up to 300 hour standby time.
• On 3G, it will deliver 5 hours of internet use.
• On Wi-Fi, Internet goes up to 9 hours.
• Video playback is 10 hours vs 30 hours for audio.

(Source: i.gizmodo)

(Image credits: Apple)

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I think, Palm Pre is a legit challenger to the iPhone. Some are already claiming it to be an iPhone killer. iPhone fanatics, however, think otherwise.

Reasons why I think Palm Pre will create its own niche:

1. Apple has shown the world that instead of confusing the customers with array of features, focus on limited features and provide complete narrow experience.
2. Even Steve Jobs keynote too the Press had revolved around on few features only like: Music, Video , Call simplicity (many would agree that having a call conference has never been this easy!)
3. People do frown on the absence of many features like camera features (only 2 mega pixel? Come on! Nokia’s low end mobile does better than that), Bluetooth file transfer etc.
4. Palm with its new management has shown some re-incarnated spirit by reverting to what they were i.e., innovating mobile platform.
5. Palm unveiled the new mobile operating system they will be using henceforth, called WebOS . Palm claims developers can create applications with html and css  – no new language has to be adopted (there is a hot debate going on this right now on how viable is this, although Palm has showcased it Mojo SDK which is yet to be tested and seen)
6. Like iPhone, Pre too uses multi touch (Tim Cook , Interim CEO of Apple had clearly given a hint that a legal war might be very well in waiting but guess we have to wait how that tide turns out ) and any one who has used multi touch would tell you how superior it feels as compared to other touch screens.
7. It also has a removable battery and physical Qwerty keyboard that many users were craving for.

There are things that go against Palm too, like:

• Their consumers’ lost faith
• Current financial woes
• Ever increasing competition

But if every thing goes right, we could have a new exciting mobile platform in waiting. For consumers, I’d say, bring it on. More the competition… the merrier!

(Image Credits: MobiHealthNews)

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