New Apple iPhone 4S features the much talked around "Siri" virtual voice assistant, luckily users having Google Android can benefit for something similar using free android application "Speaktoit Assistant". The user simply needs to ask an question to the assistant and it will perform the requested task like finding information, launching apps, connecting user with various web services - such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, etc., get maps, search for news and images, look up weather reports, convert currency and measurements, send email, and much more.

Speaktoit Assistant makes use of powerful multi-lingual Google speech-to-speech technology to answer your questions in natural language, performs tasks, and notifying users about important events.

Augmented Reality is no longer a science fiction or lab-technology, thanks to augmented reality applications like Atol les opticiens, Kinect Magic Mirror or AR Business Cards the technology is increasingly making it's way to the mainstream usage into our daily lives.

To get the ball rolling forward, an uber-cool augmented reality application for Google Android is now available for free to users (free during limited period beta) - named "iOnRoad Augmented Driving". The winner of 2011 Mobile Summit App contest allows users to make use of their device camera, processing the captured data via an real-time image recognition algorithms to auto recognizes the vehicle in front, measuring the time-gap and warn the user in-case a danger is detected. The dynamic augmented reality driving and real-time collision detection application delivers a visual radar by combining realtime day/night machine vision with sensor fusion to provide better road-safety.

The application eco-system of Google's mobile operating-system Android is increasing by leaps-and-bound everyday, to take advantage of this ever-increasing application base virtualization on platforms like Windows OS is already getting attention. To get things moving forward on the front, a new software application for Windows platform BlueStacks is out now enabling users to run android applications on Windows computers.

BlueStacks allows users to run Android OS apps on Windows PCs with instant switching between the two. BlueStacks helps PC manufacturers to ride the Android momentum by enabling Android apps on x86-based tablets, netbooks, notebooks, convertibles and AiO Windows PCs. With the new hybrid convertible form factors, BlueStacks completely eliminates the need to carry two devices. The end consumer benefits from getting both Android and Windows at the price of a single PC.

While Apple iPhone 4S featured some clever marketing done for their "virtual assistant" software-bot "Siri" but only time will tell how practical the solution will be for common-users specially when it comes to non-native US-English accents. To counter the iPhone 4S feature (Siri) Google has now released the latest version of "Google Translate For Android App" featuring an intelligent and practical feature of "Speech-to-speech" translation between 14 languages to overcome the language barrier, although not exactly similar to "Siri" the technology can be extended further having advantage of multi-accent Google's Voice Recognition technology.

The new Conversation Mode allows a user to speak into their phone’s microphone in their native language, and the Translate app will translate and readout the translation loud - the person you’re speaking with can then reply in their language, and Conversation Mode will translate what they said and read it back to you. The "Google Translate Android App 2.2" now supports translation between English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Russian and Turkish languages - a video demonstration of this new feature is posted below.

We have downloaded and flashed the all new Samsung Galaxy S firmware I9000XXJVS and the next step is to root it and get the powerful SuperUser benefits, here is how to do this using popular ChainFire root using ODIN (just download the Google Android 2.3.5 compatible root file CF-Root-XX_OXA_JVS-v4.1-CWM3RFS.tar from the links below and flash using ODIN with settings as shown below).

Yesterday we got our hands on the latest leaked stock firmware I9000XXJVS for Samsung Galaxy S cellphone, if you are wondering how to get this flashed onto your device here is the answer.

Just download the ODIN flashing utility (direct download link at the end of this post)and make sure to browse for all the files and use settings as shown below to have a successful flash.

PIT : s1_odin_20100512.pit
PDA : CODE_I9000XXJVS_CL565837_REV03_user_low_ship.tar
PHONE : MODEM_I9000XXJVS_REV_00_CL1059471.tar
CSC : GT-I9000-CSC-MULTI-OXAJVS.tar

Make sure to have re-partition, Auto Reboot, F. Reset Time and Phone Bootloader Update settings checked before starting the process.

Samsung Galaxy 2.3.5 ODIN Flash Settings

Unlike their competitors Samsung is keeping their Android phones updated with up-to-date Google Android software updates. Another such latest firmware for Samsung Galaxy S I9000 model has now leaked on internet, the latest version of Google Android 2.3.5 firmware having build code I9000XXJVS and CSC = OXAJVS can now be downloaded from the links posted after the jump.

Samsung is De-facto the leader when it comes not only to the sales figure but also the number of feature rich Android devices line-up they have to offer, adding another option to their wide variety of Android powered devices, Samsung has finally unveiled their new Phone/Tablet cross-over "Samsung Galaxy Note". Powered by a super-sized 5.3 inch touch-screen (1280 x 800 Super AMOLED), an integrated stylus pen, Dual-core 1.4GHz processor, dual 8MP and 2MP cameras, and a removable 2,500mAh battery this is definitely a device many artist's and designers would love to get their hands on.

Do check out the new device in it's full glory via the official demonstration videos posted below.

Click "Read More" for the full video.

Rooting your android devices offers many benefits and comes highly recommended for enabling custom hacks and tweaks, Google Android 2.3.3 does not support non-english UTF-8 scripts like Devanagari by default but luckily if you rooted your device we can simply hack the operating-system to install custom fonts and enable display of languages like Hindi in default system applications.

Posted below are the download links and step-by-step instructions how to enable Hindi display support on Google Android 2.3.3.