Lytro Takes Fresh View on Picture Taking - WSJ.com
Posted by John Sokol at Wednesday, February 29, 2012 0 comments Links to this post
Fwd: Connect Pritect to Protect Kinect
From: "Dirk Foster" <system@enr-corp.com>
Date: Feb 28, 2012 1:06 PM
Subject: Connect Pritect to Protect Kinect
To: <john.sokol@gmail.com>
Contact: Dirk Foster
innerbalancePR
E-Mail: dirkfoster@sparksflypr.com
Connect Pritect to Protect Kinect
Safely Avoid Prying Eyes, Infrared Light and Dust Bunnies without Blocking Voice Command Function on Xbox® 360 Kinect™ or Kinect for Windows®
Diamond Bar, CA – When the Kinect for Microsoft Xbox 360 launched in 2010 the world was so captivated by this exciting new way to play video games via motion control that it became the Guinness World Record holder for fastest-selling consumer electronic product. With over 18 million sold to date, that's great news for Microsoft, but questions of in-home security and privacy have continued to plague the platform ever since. Now Catalyst Components has launched the Pritect Sensor Cover, the first and only product designed to address these security issues surrounding the Xbox 360 Kinect and Kinect for Windows.
Paul Harper, Pritect's inventor and the President of Catalyst Components, comments: "For the first time ever, we have invited into our living rooms a technology which can not only capture video and sound data, but can also identify specific individuals using advanced biometrics, or 3-d facial recognition. The Kinect can see everything when powered on and for most users, has a direct connection to the internet. It's like a giant window into your home, but you can never know who might be looking in. With Pritect, you can now close the blinds."
"The Pritect Sensor Cover is the first and only product designed to protect the Kinect's lenses, eliminate the camera's view when not in use, and block the LED and infrared sensor lights for an optimal home theater," continued Harper. "Pritect does not interfere with Kinect's startup calibrations or voice command functions; it simply eliminates the light necessary for the camera to operate."
By Microsoft's own admission, the Kinect camera has the potential to record advertising data in any room where it's placed. According to Microsoft's COO of Interactive Entertainment Business, Dennis Durkin, if people are watching a sports event, the Kinect's camera can identify what jersey they are wearing so it can determine the team they support. Such data is valuable to advertisers who can then tailor their advertising to that household. Whether by this type of business practice, malicious hackers, or some other unforeseen threat, if the camera is on, even when not in use, and remains exposed to the room, personal privacy has the potential to be compromised for anyone who owns a Kinect.
Identifying these issues early on, Catalyst Components developed Pritect, a simple device that can ensure in-home privacy, but easily allow access to Kinect when desired. Made in the USA from high gloss injection molded plastic, Pritect fits seamlessly onto the Kinect, perfectly complimenting the Kinect's aesthetics while providing a protective shell that blocks the camera and LED/infrared lights while safeguarding against dust and debris.
"The Kinect is an amazing device that will continue to assert itself as an integral part of gaming and in many other applications" commented Paul Harper. "The ability to play games without a controller has added an entirely new level of fun and excitement. However, it also has some questionable and, some might say, chilling implications that we should all be aware of. As a father, privacy and safety is my number one concern. Pritect allows the user to determine how and when the camera is exposed and provides an additional layer of security that doesn't detract in any way from the Kinect's entertainment value to the family."
Designed specifically for Xbox 360 Kinect and Kinect for Windows
Designed to obstruct Kinect's camera view when not in use
Ensures privacy and security against potential prying eyes
Blocks LED and infrared light for home theater environments
Protects optical lenses from dust and debris
Does NOT interfere with voice command or calibration
Easily slips on and off Kinect
Conforms to Kinect's sleek black aesthetic
Available at Best Buy, Microcenter, Target and Amazon.com
Suggested Retail Price: $14.99
About Catalyst
Catalyst Component was founded in 2011 and is dedicated to bringing to market the best in digital based accessories and components. The company is located in Diamond Bar, California. For more information please contact sales@pritectcover.com or visit: http://www.pritectcover.com
Documents and/or Photos available for this release:
Pritect for Kinect
Pritect Sensor Cover
To view supporting documents and/or photos, go to www.enr-corp.com/pressroom and enter Release ID: 322535
Posted by John Sokol at Tuesday, February 28, 2012 0 comments Links to this post
Nokia Launches 41-MP Camera Phone At MWC 2012 - Personal-tech - Smart Phones - Informationweek
I'm a fan of Nokia and their "won't die/can't kill" phones. I have wait years for a decent replacement phone. You can barely read the numbers on the dialpad, I have used it so much.
Android was barely useful, and a crappy phone; Never mind that I own two (2) Samsungs (SPH-MD580 & SCH-R720). I like that Nokias have a native "phone" OS. It behaves like a phone, not a CLI (Command Line Interface), or a broken version of MS Word®.
I predict, if this phone survives the initial market release, it will be the new standard for camera phones.
41 (forty-one megapixels !!!)
-teacup
http://informationweek.com/news/personal-tech/smart-phones/232601560?nomobile=1
Posted by John Sokol at Monday, February 27, 2012 0 comments Links to this post
On the ropes, Apple's China nemesis still dreams
This story will disappear in 7 days, because reuters does that. It is well worth reading "how top display mfg is now on the bottom rung.
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE81Q0BY20120227?irpc=932
Posted by John Sokol at Sunday, February 26, 2012 0 comments Links to this post
Photoshop touches down on the iPad | Crave - CNET News
http://m.cnet.com/Article.rbml?nid=57384922&cid=null&bcid=&bid=-1
Flash Player for Linux becomes Pepper-only
http://www.osnews.com/story/25639/Flash_Player_for_Linux_becomes_Pepper-only
TV is even more broken in The Netherlands
http://www.osnews.com/story/25648/TV_is_even_more_broken_in_The_Netherlands?_m=3n%252e002k%252e399%252ebb0ao01cm6%252ee65
Samsung GALAXY Beam Eyes-on - SlashGear
http://www.slashgear.com/samsung-galaxy-beam-eyes-on-26215368/
NVIDIA gets big names to embrace DirectTouch tech in Tegra 3 devices (video) -- Engadget
http://m.engadget.com/default/article.do?artUrl=http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/25/nvidia-gets-big-names-to-embrace-directtouch-tech-in-tegra-3-dev/&category=classic&postPage=1
Posted by John Sokol at Saturday, February 25, 2012 0 comments Links to this post
What If Your Next TV Is a Tablet? | Xconomy
http://www.xconomy.com/national/2012/02/24/what-if-your-next-tv-is-a-tablet/
How to Do Stop-Motion Animation on a Budget | GeekDad | Wired.com
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/02/how-to-do-stop-motion-on-a-budget/
Posted by John Sokol at Friday, February 24, 2012 0 comments Links to this post
The Best Streaming Media Player - Slashdot
http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/02/24/048221/the-best-streaming-media-player?utm_source=feedburnerGoogle+Feedfetcher&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot+%28Slashdot%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher
Mozilla Partners Up With LG To Combat Apple and Google - Slashdot
http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/02/24/1458227/mozilla-partners-up-with-lg-to-combat-apple-and-google?utm_source=feedburnerGoogle+Feedfetcher&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot+%28Slashdot%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher
Proposed Video Copy Protection Scheme For HTML5 Raises W3C Ire - Slashdot
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/02/23/2046209/proposed-video-copy-protection-scheme-for-html5-raises-w3c-ire?utm_source=feedburnerGoogle+Feedfetcher&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot+%28Slashdot%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher
Posted by John Sokol at Thursday, February 23, 2012 0 comments Links to this post
Fwd: Qualcomm and MasterImage 3D at Mobile World Congress
From: "MasterImage 3D" <social@masterimage3d.com>
Subject: Qualcomm and MasterImage 3D at Mobile World Congress
We have some great news to share. Next week, at Mobile World Congress, our glasses-free 3D technology will be showcased on Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Tablet. Together, we'll be demonstrating premium 3D videos, all-new 3D content from 3net, and more.
The full announcement is included below.
MasterImage 3D's Cell-Matrix Parallax Barrier Technology to be Showcased on
Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 Mobile Development Platform Tablet at Mobile World Congress 2012
BARCELONA, Spain – MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS – Feb. 23, 2012 – MasterImage 3D, a world leader in 3D and the pioneers behind glasses free 3D for smartphones and tablets, today announced its 3D display technology will be showcased on the glasses-free Mobile Development Platform (MDP) tablet with a WUXGA (1920*1200) resolution display. Based on Qualcomm's award-winning Snapdragon S4 processor, the MDP Tablet 3D Edition will debut at Mobile World Congress 2012. Available for next-generation 10.1" tablets, the technology, along with new premium 3D videos and games, will be shown at the Qualcomm booth (Hall 8, 8B30) and in the MasterImage 3D VIP hospitality suite, Hall 4.1 (4.1EHS7).
The MDP Tablet 3D Edition will feature MasterImage 3D's Cell-Matrix Parallax Barrier technology and will run Android 4.0. The demonstration will feature Qualcomm's 2D to 3D conversion technology, which enables real-time 2D to stereoscopic 3D conversion of videos and games. Qualcomm will be demonstrating various 3D content on the glasses-free MDP Tablet 3D Edition, including new 3D programming from 3net – the Discovery/Sony/Imax 3D joint venture and 3D animated comics.
"Hollywood, Bollywood and the film industry around the world continue to enjoy enormous success for 3D at the cinema. Dramatic growth in streaming video services like Netflix, Hulu, Vudu and the recently announced new plans from Verizon/Redbox and in Europe BskyB mean that consumers now expect personalized direct entertainment. There is an immediate need then for glasses-free 3D personal devices to meet this demand," said Roy Taylor, GM and EVP MasterImage 3D Display. "We could not be prouder to be working with Qualcomm to help bring this entertainment revolution to market."
"We understand the demand for glasses-free 3D for the home is increasing dramatically," said Raj Talluri, Vice President of Product Management of Qualcomm. "The advanced multimedia features of Snapdragon processors allow MasterImage 3D's technology to come to life, showing OEMs, mobile operators and the content community that viable and compelling technology is available here and now."
"From day-one, we set out to create the most entertaining and immersive 3D content imaginable, created and shot for the medium from the ground-up," said Tom Cosgrove, President and CEO of 3net. "With the collaborative work of Qualcomm and MasterImage 3D, we actively support a 3D ecosystem where consumers will be able to watch our programming on glasses-free mobile devices wherever they may be."
Cell-Matrix Parallax Barrier Technology is MasterImage 3D's proprietary solution that is invented, patented and mass-produced as the leading technology in glasses-free 3D display and fast becoming the quality leader in 3D mobile display. The technology provides brighter images, lessened crosstalk, reduced moiré effects (or rippled appearance) and the widest possible viewing angle.
Learn more about MasterImage 3D and partnerships on our blog at www.absolutely3d.com.
This message was sent to john.sokol@gmail.com from:
MasterImage 3D | 5358 Melrose Ave. | Los Angeles, CA 90038
Electrodes turn your eyelids into 3d shutter glasses
http://hackaday.com/2011/01/16/electrodes-turn-your-eyelids-into-3d-shutter-glasses/
This has to be fake, but it's funny as heck.
Fwd: Cinram's 1K Studio Forms Alliance with Audible Magic
From: "Audible Magic" <Audible_Magic@mail.vresp.com>
Date: Feb 21, 2012 10:32 AM
Subject: Cinram&apos;s 1K Studio Forms Alliance with Audible Magic
CINRAM'S 1K STUDIOS FORMS ALLIANCE WITH AUDIBLE MAGIC
Leader in Audio Sync Technology Adds Value to 1K's Second Screen Innovations
TORONTO, February 21, 2012 — Cinram International Income Fund ("Cinram" or the "Fund") (TSX: CRW.UN), leader in Home Entertainment services, is delighted to announce an alliance between its subsidiary 1K Studios and Audible Magic, leader in Automated Content Recognition (ACR) solutions.
The relationship, which involves the supply of best-in-class audio syncing technology from Audible Magic to 1K Studios, will enable 1K to enhance its development of second screen platforms. 1K Studios is a world class provider of creative technology to the media and entertainment industry. Responsible for recent high profile projects utilizing film, gaming and publishing content, 1K Studios has a track record in delivering innovative consumer experiences.
Audible Magic provides a solution called SmartSync™ Media Synchronization that enables mobile devices to listen to TV audio and match it with frame-level accuracy to a mobile device. Most developers can successfully integrate this technology into their applications within just a few hours.
Matt Kennedy, President of 1K Studios comments, "We're really delighted to be working with Audible Magic. Second screen applications are a key need for our customers and Audible Magic offers the most robust and versatile solution for audio syncing in this area."
"1K Studios has an established reputation for delivering creative and technical services to leading entertainment and media brands," comments Vance Ikezoye, Audible Magic's CEO, "It's fantastic to have established this relationship with 1K Studios and we look forward to seeing our technology integrated into their exciting second screen platforms ."
1K's second screen platform is to debut shortly on a major studio release.
About Audible Magic
Audible Magic Corporation is the trusted leader in automated content recognition using audio and video digital fingerprinting technology for recognizing content in all forms across radio and television broadcasts, Internet streams, cable and satellite transmissions, stored digital files, and on consumer devices such as smart TVs, set-top boxes, smart phones, tablets, and other appliances. Currently, Audible Magic works with more than 200 customers, partners and resellers. For more information, visit www.audiblemagic.com.
About 1K Studios
Based in Los Angeles, 1K Studios has been an innovative digital media company helping clients develop and market the world's most popular entertainment, media, software and consumer electronic products for 12 years. The company's success has been achieved through collaborative work between artists, filmmakers, technologists and other visionaries creating engaging and compelling experiences.
About Cinram
Cinram International Inc., an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund, is one of the world's largest providers of multimedia products and related logistics services. With facilities in North America and Europe, Cinram International Inc. manufactures and distributes pre-recorded DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, audio CDs, CD-ROMs and digital content for motion picture studios, music labels, publishers and computer software companies around the world. Cinram also provides distribution and logistics services to the telecommunications industry in North America through its wireless subsidiaries. The Cinram group of companies now also incorporates 1K Studios, a digital media firm based in Los Angeles specializing in building enhanced consumer experiences for movies, TV shows, music, books and games. The Fund's units are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol CRW.UN. For more information, visit www.cinram.com.
Certain statements included in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements include statements concerning the possible effects of the transactions described herein, and the likelihood of their successful completion. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Fund, or results of the multimedia duplication/replication industry, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following: the Fund's ability to retain major customers; general economic and business conditions, which will, among other things, impact the demand for the Fund's products and services; multimedia replication industry conditions and capacity; the ability of the Fund to implement its business strategy; the Fund's ability to invest successfully in new technologies and other factors which are described in the Fund's filings with the securities commissions. These risks may affect the achievement of the expected results of the transactions described herein. There can be no assurance that the said transactions will be successfully completed or that, if completed, the expected consequences will result in whole or in part, and the deviations from such expectations may be material.
Cinram International Inc.
John H. Bell
Email: johnbell@cinram.com
Audible Magic Corporation
Tel: _1 408.402.6538
Email: j_friedman@audiblemagic.com
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Audible Magic
985 University Avenue, Suite 35
Los Gatos, California 95030
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Pico Projector Adapts To New Surfaces, Uses Random Objects As Input Devices - Slashdot
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/02/21/2255209/pico-projector-adapts-to-new-surfaces-uses-random-objects-as-input-devices?utm_source=feedburnerGoogle+Feedfetcher&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot+%28Slashdot%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher
Sony makes a patent move for Kinect style controller -- Engadget
http://m.engadget.com/default/article.do?artUrl=http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/21/sony-patents-kinect-style-controller/&category=classic&postPage=1
Comcast and Netflix escalate fight for viewers - latimes.com
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-fi-ct-comcast-vod-20120222,0,6107583.story
Apple to drop in-house X11 support and more in Mountain Lion | MacFixIt - CNET News
http://m.cnet.com/Article.rbml?nid=57381996&cid=latest&bid=263&webref=reviews.cnet.com/apple-to-drop-in-house-x11-support-and-more-in-mountain-lion/8301-13727_7-57381996-263.html%3f
Cisco: We Aren't Trying To Dump Our TV Set-Top Business (CSCO)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/02/21/businessinsidercisco-we-arent-tryin.DTL
Patent Reveals Google TV With Siri-Like Voice Recognition | PCWorld
http://www.pcworld.com/article/250322/patent_reveals_google_tv_with_sirilike_voice_recognition.html
Google TV Root Hack Allows For Hulu Streaming, Makes The Connected TV Platform Interesting Again - TechCrunch
http://m.techcrunch.com/2012/02/20/google-tv-root-hack-allows-for-hulu-streaming-makes-the-connected-tv-platform-interesting-again/
Samsung to Spin Off LCD Business to Focus on Technology for Thinner TVs- Bloomberg
http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-20/samsung-to-spin-off-lcd-business-to-focus-on-new-tv-technology.html
The Future of Broadband: Telemedia, Futurist Gerd Leonhard
http://www.slideshare.net/gleonhard/the-future-of-broadband-telemedia-futurist-gerd-leonhard
SSD Latency, Error Rates May Spell Bleak Future - Slashdot
http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/12/02/16/2038221/ssd-latency-error-rates-may-spell-bleak-future?utm_source=feedburnerGoogle+Feedfetcher&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot+%28Slashdot%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher
Google's Bid to Be Everything to Everyone - Businessweek
Did you miss this Google anouncement on a "streaming audio device"?
http://mobile.businessweek.com/magazine/googles-bid-to-be-everything-to-everyone-02162012.html
Better Late Than Never: Hulu Plus Finally Arrives On The Wii - TechCrunch
http://m.techcrunch.com/2012/02/16/better-late-than-never-hulu-plus-finally-arrives-on-the-wii/
LightSquared blew it, and here's why | News - Mobile - CNET News
http://m.cnet.com/Article.rbml?nid=57378764&cid=null&bcid=&bid=-94
NYT: Researchers Find Flaw in encryption
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/02/15/technology/researchers-find-flaw-in-an-online-encryption-method.xml
TECHNOLOGY Flaw Found in an Online Encryption Method By JOHN MARKOFF Published: February 15, 2012
SAN FRANCISCO - A team of European and American mathematicians and cryptographers have discovered an unexpected weakness in the encryption system widely used worldwide for online shopping, banking,e-mail and other Internet services intended to remain private and secure.
The flaw - which involves a small but measurable number of cases - has to do with the way the system generates random numbers,which are used to make it practically impossible for an attacker to unscramble digital messages. While it can affect the transactions of individual Internet users,there is nothing an individual can do about it. The operators of large Web sites will need to make changes to ensure the security of their systems,the researchers said.
The potential danger of the flaw is that even though the number of users affected by the flaw may be small,confidence in the security of Web transactions is reduced,the authors said.
The system requires that a user first create and publish the product of two large prime numbers,in addition to another number,to generate a public "key." The original numbers are kept secret. To encrypt a message,a second person employs a formula that contains the public number. In practice,only someone with knowledge of the original prime numbers can decode that message.
For the system to provide security,however,it is essential that the secret prime numbers be generated randomly. The researchers discovered that in a small but significant number of cases,the random number generation system failed to work correctly.
The importance in ensuring that encryption systems do not have undetected flaws cannot be overstated. The modern world's online commerce system rests entirely on the secrecy afforded by the public key cryptographic infrastructure.
The researchers described their work in a paper that the authors have submitted for publication at a cryptography conference to be held in Santa Barbara,Calif.,in August. They made their findings public Tuesday because they believe the issue is of immediate concern to the operators of Web servers that rely on the public key cryptography system.
"This comes as an unwelcome warning that underscores the difficulty of key generation in the real world," said James P. Hughes,an independent Silicon Valley cryptanalyst who worked with a group of researchers led by Arjen K. Lenstra,a widely respected Dutch mathematician who is a professor at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland. "Some people may say that 99.8 percent security is fine," he added. That still means that approximately as many as two out of every thousand keys would not be secure.
The researchers examined public databases of 7.1 million public keys used to secure e-mail messages,online banking transactions and other secure data exchanges. The researchers employed the Euclidean algorithm,an efficient way to find the greatest common divisor of two integers,to examine those public key numbers. They were able to produce evidence that a small percentage of those numbers were not truly random,making it possible to determine the underlying numbers, or secret keys,used to generate the public key.
They said they "stumbled upon" almost 27,000 different keys that offer no security. "Their secret keys are accessible to anyone who takes the trouble to redo our work," they wrote.
To prevent this,one of the organizations that had collected the public keys has removed the information from the Internet and taken steps to protect it from theft.
To perform their study,the researchers used several databases of public keys,including one at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and another created by the Electronic Frontier Foundation,a Internet privacy rights group. The foundation's database results from a project, known as the SSL Observatory,originally intended to investigate the security of the digital certificates that are used to protect encrypted data transmitted between Internet users and Web sites.
"We were very careful: we did not intercept any traffic,we did not sniff any networks," Mr. Hughes said. "We went to databases that contained public information and downloaded public keys."
The researchers said they were not able to determine why the random number generators had produced imperfect results,but they noted that the problem appeared in more than the work of a single software developer.
They also stated that if they had been able to discover the flaw,it was also possible that it had been previously uncovered,perhaps by organizations or individuals with malicious intent: "The lack of sophistication of our methods and findings make it hard for us to believe that what we have presented is new,in particular to agencies and parties that are known for their curiosity in such matters," they wrote.
While they said that the publication of results that potentially undermine the security of encryption keys was inappropriate unless the parties were notified first,the researchers noted that the way they discovered the flaw made identifying potentially vulnerable parties a challenge.
"The quagmire of vulnerabilities that we waded into makes it infeasible to properly inform everyone involved,though we made a best effort to inform the larger parties and contacted all e-mail addresses recommended or specified in still-valid affected certificates," they wrote. "The fact that most certificates do not contain adequate contact information limited our options. Our decision to make our findings public,despite our inability to directly notify everyone involved,was a judgment call."
There have been previous failures of random number generators that have undermined Internet security. For example,in 1995,two researchers at the University of California,Berkeley,discovered a flaw in the way the Netscape browser generated random numbers,making it possible for an eavesdropper to decode encrypted communications. Last year a group of computer hackers revealed that Sony had made a crucial mistake in not using a random number in the algorithm used by the security system of the PlayStation 3,making it possible to discover the secret key intended to protect digital content on the system.
The researchers whimsically titled their paper "Ron Was Wrong,Whit Is Right," a reference to two pioneers in public key cryptography,Ron Rivest and Whitfield Diffie.
Mr. Diffie was a developer of the first method for two people who had not previously physically met to share a secret message safely. However,what became known as the R.S.A. algorithm,created by and named after three mathematicians,Mr. Rivest,Adi Shamir and Leonard Adleman,ultimately became the dominant standard. (They later helped found the security company RSA.) The so-called Diffie-Hellman method,developed by Mr. Diffie,Martin Hellman and Ralph Merkle, required only a single secret number.
Time Warner Cable streaming to Android soon - SlashGear
http://www.slashgear.com/time-warner-cable-streaming-to-android-soon-15213631/
BBC News - Cisco to challenge Microsoft Skype deal at EU court
AT&T throttle customers
This virtually unplugs customers that are the most dependent on Internet enabled devices.
What a useless service.
FCC Bars Lightsquared From Using Airwaves - Slashdot
http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/12/02/15/1324228/fcc-bars-lightsquared-from-using-airwaves?utm_source=feedburnerGoogle+Feedfetcher&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot+%28Slashdot%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher
SPRAY-ON antennas waved about at Google's techfest • The Register
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/14/spray_antennas/
Can this be real?
The TV business keeps getting stronger - blog maverick
http://blogmaverick.com/2012/01/14/the-tv-business-keeps-getting-stronger
Impressed. Wow audionet 17 years ago. My mind is blown.
Fantastic article, Mark nailed it.
Fwd: Re: Newest infomation from Eonboom Electron Limited(CCTV Camera,DVR manufacturer
From: "lily" <lily@eonboom.com>
Date: Feb 12, 2012 11:23 PM
Subject: Re: Newest infomation from Eonboom Electron Limited(CCTV Camera,DVR manufacturer
It's a new beginning in 2012.
Sincerely hope that both of us can have a good life and work this year.
By the way, I enclose some photos about our Annual Dinner Party on 15th, January.
We visited our own factory first, and then entered a dinner party in a beautiful hotel.
In this way, my friend, you may know more of us.
Eonboom is a powerful and growing manufacturer.
Once you visit China next time, please do pay a visit to us.
We warmly welcome and wait for our meeting then.
Best regards to you and your family.
Skype: zhangli812218
MSN: lily@eonboom.com
Apparently Google Is Building A Music System For Your Home (GOOG)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/02/09/businessinsiderapparently-google-is.DTL
Apple exploring 3D frame-of-reference iOS interface based on eye, light location
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/02/09/apple_exploring_3d_frame_of_reference_ios_interface_based_on_eye_light_location.html
They will couple with video service more closely in the near future.
http://www.invensense.com/
Kodak to Cease Digital Camera Production | News & Opinion | PCMag.com
http://mobile.pcmag.com/device2/article.php?CALL_URL=http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2400039,00.asp
Digital Trends » Nikon unveils D800 DSLR and yes, its pixel count is enormous
http://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/nikon-unveils-d800-dslr-and-yes-its-pixel-count-is-enormous/
Tom Brady Watched Last Year's Super Bowl Via Illegal Stream
From TechDirt.
Tom Brady Watched Last Year's Super Bowl Via Illegal Stream... And Probably Had A Better Experience Than Anyone Watching NBC's Official Stream
from the so-it-goes dept
With ICE seizing a bunch of websites that were planning to stream this year's Super Bowl, plenty of people had their ears perk up when Patriots starting quarterback Tom Brady admitted that he watched last year's Super Bowl via an unauthorized streaming site online. While his view this year was a bit more up close and personal, lots of people were talking about how NBC Universal finally decided to offer up an official stream of the game -- about a decade later than it should have done so. Of course, reports from users were that -- in typical NBC Universal fashion -- theexperience was dreadful. Even more ridiculous? The livestream didn't show most of the commercials because apparently NBC Universal wanted them to pay extra to do so. So, instead, those who watched online "received a heavy dose of the same ads over and over again." In other words, the online experience was worse. Of course, since they have less competition (thank you US government!), NBC has little incentive to improve the product, so expect it to suck for a few more years now that they've finally decided to show the game online.
Labels: copyright, Streaming
Translation of superbowl ads to online traffic
Because of an early release of the Ferris Bueller commercial on Youtube, the Superbowl numbers for watching the commercial online (the web) was was the highest of all superbowl commercials.
It's a blog, so some of the other stories are interesting.
We're Living in a Golden Age of Video Production
http://www.videomaker.com/community/videonews/2012/02/12646-were-living-in-a-golden-age-of-video-production/
We live in an age were most every family in America owns a video camera and editing software, even if they never sought out either. Anyone with an internet connection can put their video online where it can be seen by everyone on the planet. The web has given anyone who wants it, access to far more information than any film school alone can provide. The world of video production has entered a golden age. There are no more excuses not to pursue whatever goals you hope to achieve with video.
In the late ninetys, when the average middle-class American could purchase video editing software to run on the home computer they already owned, it was clear that we were entering a new era of video production. Consumer camcorders were already common, but with non-linear editors entering people's homes, so to was a quality of production reserved only for professionals or those willing to spend thousands on uni-tasking equipment.
Consumer video production stayed at that point for about 10 years, as individuals shot SD footage on their home camcorders and edited on their PC or Mac. In the last few years, however, we've seen a surge forward in the process of consumer level video production. It's a result of computers and cameras getting cheaper, and moving into every electronic device in the home.
When the Blair Witch Project came out, people were amazed that someone could shoot an entire film that would be released world wide, on a simple consumer camcorder. Today, an iPhone 4S could easily take better quality video and cost significantly less. The only reason, I believe, that we haven't seen a nationally released film shot entirely on a smartphone is simply because an upgrade in picture quality and functionality can be purchased for under a thousand dollars.
It's not just the cost of quality cameras and accessibility of editing software that is bringing good looking video to the masses, it's also the size. It turns out that a fluid head tripod capable of supporting a 3lb camcorder doesn't cost a lot of money. The same can be said about slider dollies, jibs, and even stabilizers.
Of course some equipment is as pricey as it's ever been. Lights and microphones, for example, don't seem to be getting an cheaper, but we live in the age of the internet. It's much easier to learn from others about how to build your own lighting rig, or even record studio quality ADR straight into your laptop or iPad.
Cameras and editing systems are getting cheaper by the day, and the free flow of information on the internet is making it easier than ever to break into video production. As a result, Hollywood is losing its hold on the film industry, which is a good thing for both consumers and producers of great video.
Labels: video editor
Verizon, Redbox plan Netflix challenge
http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE81510M20120206?irpc=932
(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc and Coinstar's Redbox unit have formed a video joint venture to provide services aimed at competing directly against video rental giant Netflix Inc.
Shares of Netflix fell almost 3 percent after news of the venture, which will combine the Redbox DVD rental kiosk business with an Internet video offering from Verizon.
The alliance will mark Verizon's first foray into video streaming outside of its network operating region as the telephone company currently only offers Internet video services to customers using its FiOS television service.
However, the venture's success in competing with Netflix and other online rivals like Amazon.com and Hulu Plus, will depend hugely on the price of the service and the depth of content it has available, according to analysts.
Verizon and Coinstar will likely have to invest heavily to convince Hollywood studios to participate if they are to offer a comparable service to Netflix, Daniel Ernst, an analyst at Hudson Square Research said.
"The question is, how much are they investing to get a large library of programming? Netflix is spending up to $1 billion a year on content," said Ernst. "For me, it's doubtful that these two companies will invest to that level."
As Netflix has shifted its emphasis to instant-view streaming from its mailed DVD rental service, it has had to write ever-heftier checks to content.
Verizon did not disclose how many of its FiOS TV programming partners, if any, had agreed to make video content available for the streaming service.
The partnership follows a December 6 report from Reuters that Verizon was planning a standalone streaming video service.
Analysts said it makes sense for Verizon, which has spent about $23 billion building its FiOS TV network, to create an online offering in the hope of increasing its TV subscriber numbers. But Pacific Crest analyst Steve Clement complained that it did not give enough details to get investors excited.
"We don't know what kind of content they'll have available, what they'll pay for that content and what they'll charge for it," said Clement. "There's way more questions than answers at this point."
He noted that a big part of Netflix' success was due to its easy user interface and recommendation of TV shows and movies based on its subscribers viewing history.
Netflix had 24.4 million U.S. subscribers at the end of December, while Verizon ended the year with 4.2 million FiOS TV customers. Coinstar rents out DVDs at $1 a day and Blu-Ray discs for $1.50 a day from kiosks in locations such as supermarkets.
The venture -- to be 65 percent owned by Verizon and 35 percent by Redbox -- will offer its first products in the second half of 2012, the companies said.
Shares in Netflix fell $3.54, or 2.8 percent, to $122.89 in morning trade on Nasdaq, where Coinstar shares pulled back from an earlier increase of up to 7 percent but were still up 66 cents, or 1.38 percent, at $50.33. Verizon edged up 6 cents to $37.90 on the New York Stock Exchange.
Labels: DVD
Fwd: Zaxel will demonstrate real time 4K video streaming with H.264 codec at NAB 2012
From: Nori Suzuki <nsuzuki@zaxel.com>
Date: Fri, Feb 3, 2012 at 6:19 PM
Subject: Zaxel will demonstrate real time 4K video streaming with H.264 codec at NAB 2012
Dear Customers and Colleagues,
Zaxel will participate NAB 2012 Exhibit from April 16 to April 19 at Las Vegas Convention Center
This year Zaxel will demonstrate real time 4K video streaming with H.264 coding at 50 mbps with video captured from 4K 10 bit RAW video camera. RAW video is the native format of the CMOS sensor used in all the 4K cameras in the market. This camera's RAW file consists of 10 bit pixels, and the pixels have alternate R, G, and B color.
RAW video is compressed by H.264 codec and transmitted at 50 mbps then decompressed by a receiver and displayed at 4K resolution in real time.
With the 4K video camera and 4K display started to be priced lower than 10,000 dollars and communication costs of 100 mbps is less than 2,000 dollars a month, real time 4K video streaming using H.264 will be ideal for applications such as remote medicine and remote surveillance.
Zaxel will also demonstrate real time Superscaler that upconverts 1080i to 4K 60P.
Please use the VIP code
to obtain the exhibit pass.
Nori Suzuki
Zaxel Systems, Inc.
2045 Martin Avenue, Suite 206
Santa Clara, CA 95050, USA
+1-408-727-6403 X 107, cell +1-650-533-8456
Zaxel, Inc.
Minami Ohi 3-37-10, Asano Building 2fl
Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan 140-0013
EyeIO: Netflix's Secret Weapon Against Bandwidth Caps?
From: "3D CineCast" <olivier.amato@itbroadcastanddigitalcinema.com>
Date: Feb 3, 2012 4:07 AM
Subject: 3D CineCast
3D CineCast
EyeIO: Netflix's Secret Weapon Against Bandwidth Caps?
Palo Alto, Calif.–based video encoding startup EyeIO left stealth mode on Wednesday with the announcement that it has licensed its technology to one of the biggest players in the online video space. Netflix is using eyeIO's encoding technology to cut down on the bandwidth of its streams, allowing the company to deliver HD video without busting subscribers' bandwidth caps or overwhelming networks in emerging markets.
EyeIO has been operating stealthily since the end of 2010, and it was able to win Netflix as a customer last summer. Netflix hasn't said where and in which capacity it is exactly using the technology it has been licensing from eyeIO, but the company's VP of Product Development, Greg Peters, said in a press release that eyeIO is "an important part of the technology [Netflix uses] to improve video quality and overcome bandwidth challenges presented by Internet infrastructure."
Standard-definition Netflix streams can consume up to 2.2 Mbps of bandwidth. Netflix's 720p HD videos come in at roughly 3.8 Mbps, and 1080p videos go up to 4.8 Mbps. EyeIO CEO Rodolfo Vargas told me during a phone conversation on Tuesday that his company's encoding technology can achieve better-looking results than most established encoders with 20 percent bandwidth savings and that eyeIO can still deliver similar quality to other encoders with up to 50 percent bandwidth savings. Content in 720p could be streamed using 1.8 Mbps, he explained. The company does this by optimizing the encoding process, which means that the results are regular, albeit smaller, H.264 files that can be played by end users without any need for additional plug-ins.
EyeIO was founded by online video technology veterans; Vargas used to be the senior program manager for video at Microsoft, and one of his co-founders, Robert Hagerty, used to be the chairman and CEO of teleconferencing provider Polycom. The company is privately funded and currently has fewer than 10 full-time employees but is looking to expand over the coming months.
By Janko Roettgers, GigaOM
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Fwd: ObjectVideo Enters into Patent Licensing Agreement with Tyco Security Products' American Dynamics Business Unit
From: "Ed Troha" <vpomailer@mailx.virtualpressoffice.com>
Date: Feb 1, 2012 1:51 PM
Subject: ObjectVideo Enters into Patent Licensing Agreement with Tyco Security Products&apos; American Dynamics Business Unit
ObjectVideo Enters into Patent Licensing Agreement with Tyco Security Products' American Dynamics Business Unit
Reston, Virginia, USA, February 1, 2012 – ObjectVideo®, Inc., the Leader in Intelligent Video, announced today the signing of a global patent licensing agreement with Tyco Security Products' American Dynamics business unit. This agreement provides American Dynamics access to ObjectVideo's portfolio of video analytics patents as American Dynamics develops and launches a wide-range of its own video analytics software and hardware products.
Click here to read more ...
If you have questions or for more information, please contact Edward Troha at +1 703-654-9322 or via email at: pr@objectvideo.com
About ObjectVideo, Inc.
ObjectVideo is the world's leading innovator and practitioner in intelligent video software, utilized by organizations worldwide to enhance security, streamline operations and provide business intelligence. ObjectVideo's patented technology can be effectively deployed anywhere within a video system and is available to market through leading providers as a high-value component of the surveillance solution. The Company is well-resourced, has an experienced leadership team and maintains a strong partner sales network of manufacturers and technology providers around the world. To stay up-to-date on ObjectVideo news, please visit www.objectvideo.com/news/.
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Flexible web interface makes the universal remote nearly perfect
[Fall Deaf] built an Arduino based universal remote control system. It uses a shield which has both an IR receiver and transmitter. This gives it the tools to learn codes from your existing remotes and play them back in order to control the devices. This functionality is really nothing new, but we think the user interface he developed for the system is absolutely fantastic!
Software is web-based. You can simply point a remote at the Arduino and push a button. The receiver will store the code which can later be assigned to a virtual button. The image above shows the channel-up option being created; it will be added to the list once confirmed. From there any web enabled device – smart phone, tablet, netbook, etc – can be used as the remote for the system. The only feature we think is missing is the ability to alter the layout of the buttons, with larger areas for the most frequently used commands.
After the break you can see a demonstration of this system, as well as the one extra feature we haven't touched on yet. [Fall Deaf] included a Piezo element in the hardware design which lets him knock on his coffee table to use the remote if a smart-device isn't close at hand.
Labels: remote control
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