Archive for December, 2009

real d another failed technology

Dec 31

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 After watching Avatar using the real d glasses, our friends were true disappointed, the real ’d’ does not truly create a 3d environment but simply creates three depths on the screen. One of them being the 3d layer.

With the recent release of “Avatar,” the world of 3-D viewing has once again become part of our zeitgeist. Unknown to many, 3-D films have had a long history dating as far back as the 1890s. However due to costly hardware, the technical processes and a lack of standardized formatting, the popularity of 3-D films that emerged in the 1950s waned over the years. That is… until today.

We dont know what kind of technology will be used when we have hdmi 1.4 enables televion.

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Motorola brings hdmi 1.4 on Android

Dec 31

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Motorola is developing an even higher end Android phone if a Chinese leak today translates to reality. its code name either the Mirage or the Shadow, it would graduate from the Droid’s 3.7-inch screen to a larger still 4.3 inches, albeit at the same 854×480 resolution. Performance, however, would be the greatest jump as the phone is rumored to support 1080p video and would have HDMI1.4 output it is said that they will also working with Silicon Image on the MHL.

The smartphone is thin as 0.35 inches and would have an 8-megapixel camera. Stylistically, it would resemble a larger but thinner version of the Droid, as seen in a rough 3D rendering.

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new ways of selling hdmi splitters

Dec 31

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Dec 30, 2009 – Atlona Technologies, an american based company with strong production facility in Taiwan, has finally released yet another addition to their product line with the AT-HAD-V31. This product is a high performance 3×1 HDMI 1.3 Switcher that can easily switch between 3 sources and output to a single display up to six feet away. While this AT-HAD-V31 Switcher has the ability to be controlled manually is also comes stocked with intelligent AUTO function, which is capable of automatically detecting and selecting the newly powered high definition display source. All inputs are active simultaneously, reducing switching time.

The AT-HAD-V31 is based on the Silicon Image HDMI 1.3b chip-set and therefore is capable of routing the highest resolutions up to 1080p as well as supporting 36-bit Deep Color depth. With this unit’s embedded digital audio, high quality audio is capable of being transmitted from up to 3 sources to any HDMI display or projector. This Atlona Pro HD-Switch also supports compressed audio such as DTS Digital, Dolby Digital (including DTS-HD and Dolby True HD)

Atlona marketing team have included an HDMI cable with the switchers. Atlona has even decided to go the extra mile by permanently attaching a 2m HDMI Cable to this particular switch to seem cost effectiveness . Along with being HDCP compliant, this economically priced product is compatible with HD-DVD, Blu-Ray, PS3, HD Set-top Boxes, and more, making this product is perfect for any application.
Atlona’s

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DIRECTV HD and Movie Choices to Get a Lift With Successful Satellite Launch

Dec 31

Posted by natasha in News | No Comments

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Dec 29, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — As the DIRECTV 12 satellite soars into space following its successful launch today, DIRECTV customers will soon see a stellar lineup of new HD channels and movie choices.

When the satellite begins operations in the early second quarter of next year, it will be among a fleet of five powerful, HD satellites delivering an unprecedented array of programming and other services to households across America.

The new satellite will boost DIRECTV’s HD capacity by 50 percent, to more than 200 HD channels, increase the number of local HD markets DIRECTV will serve and significantly expand movie choices on the DIRECTV Cinema and DIRECTV on Demand services. DIRECTV offers more than 130 HD channels today and delivers local HD programming to 138 markets, representing 92 percent of U.S. TV households.

DIRECTV 12, a Boeing 702 model satellite, lifted off on an International Launch Services Proton Breeze M vehicle at 4:22 p.m. PT yesterday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Controllers at the ground station in Hartebeesthoek, South Africa have made contact with the satellite and confirmed that all systems are functioning properly. Video replays of the launch are available on directv.com.

“With the successful launch of our DIRECTV 12 satellite, we will have the capacity to dramatically expand HD and movie choices for our customers and further extend our content and technology leadership,” said Romulo Pontual, DIRECTV’s chief technology officer. “With a robust fleet of 11 satellites, including five spacecraft delivering HD programming, advanced transmission and set-top box technology, we are able to provide our customers with an unparalleled viewing experience and maintain a significant competitive advantage for many years to come.”

DIRECTV 12, the eleventh owned-and-operated satellite in the DIRECTV fleet, will be maneuvered into a circular orbit at 102.8 degrees West longitude and when tests are completed, it is expected to begin operations early in the second quarter of next year.

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Controlling the TV with a wave of the hand

Dec 31

Posted by Rachel Green in News | No Comments

A wiggle of the fingers will change television channels or turn the volume up or down. In videogames, your movements will control your onscreen digital avatar.

It’s called 3D gesture recognition and while it may not be in stores this Christmas a number of technology companies are promising that it will be by next year.

Softkinetic, a Brussels-based software company, is one of the leaders in the gesture-control field and has teamed up with US semiconductor giant Texas Instruments and others to make this touchless vision of the future a reality.

Besides TI, Softkinetic has forged partnerships with France’s Orange Vallee for interactive TV, another Belgian firm, Optrima, a maker of 3D cameras and sensors, and with Connecting Technology, a French home automation company.

“On the consumer side you have three markets — television, videogames and personal computers,” Softkinetic chief executive Michel Tombroff told AFP in a telephone interview.

“The objective is to be on the consumer market at the end of next year, by Christmas, so people can buy these things,” he said.

“In the same way that the Nintendo Wii completely changed the way that people play videogames this 3D camera technology will allow us to completely transform the way people interact with television,” Tombroff said.

Roger Kay, president of Endpoint Technologies Associates, said he believes that gesture recognition technology is “directionally correct because anything leading to a more natural interface for a human is better.

“We’re in that transition to a time when gestural input will be quite natural,” Kay said. “From what I’ve seen of the demos they’re pretty close.”

On the gaming front, “using a camera in real time to capture motion and then take the representative avatar from that and play it on a screen with other elements in a virtual world is a pretty compelling experience,” he said.

Free Giveaway! show iCal events on desk top with iDeskCal

Dec 31

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Developed by HashBang Industries, it is a $12.99 application that embeds your iCal calendars right on your Mac’s desktop. When you turn your computer on – bam! – there it is. It’s impossible to miss and doesn’t get in the way, which is exactly what forgetful neat-freaks like myself need. And if the screen is littered with open windows, just invoke Exposé with a simple keystroke to temporarily show the desktop. Events are listed by day with their times and are even color-coded to help identify which calendar they belong to. Pending To Do items are listed separately off to the side as well.

While iDeskCal is running, an icon is displayed in the menu bar (and/or the Dock if you choose to enable it). A number of options reside in this menu, including the ability to add events to iCal without ever opening the program itself. A semi-transparent window floats on top of the screen with all the fields required to create new events. Also accessible from iDeskCal’s menu bar icon is a To Do manager that lets users add, edit, and delete To Do tasks – again, without launching iCal.

One of the great things about iDeskCal is that it’s highly customizable. The developer doesn’t force a particular style or appearance on you – many visual choices are user-configurable. Going to Preferences in the menu bar drop-down displays a slew of choices for font, text size, text color, position on the screen, and background opacity. Since iDeskCal sits on top of the desktop wallpaper image, these settings will likely need to be changed to match your personal preference.

After spending some time with iDeskCal, I’m confident in saying that it has changed my daily life for the better. Being able to show iCal events on the desktop has already saved me from forgetting one birthday and will surely continue to do so as time goes on. If you’re a regular user of iCal who has a Mac running 10.5 or 10.6, I see no reason for you not to give iDeskCal’s 14-day free trial  a shot. The  convenience and productivity improvements it brings will surely convince you to put down $12.99 for a full license.

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Flexible camera concept

Dec 24

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Art Lebedev has brought out for us another novel concept, aside from the rather remarkable vision of the Transparentius.  What looks at first glance to be one of those snake reading lights is actually a bendable digital camera in the shape of a flexible body with an integrated lens that can be hooked to either a viewfinder on the end of the camera, or an attachable 3-inch LCD display unit.

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Designed to take photos or videos with as few controllers as possible (particularly for those who just want to snap a few interesting shots), the incredibly versatile Fleximus camera allows “a photographer to shoot at angles never imaginable before”.

Like most of Lebedev’s other designs, there’s not much in the way of technical specs quite yet (or plans of production), but this is one of the more interesting and potentially entertaining concepts the design studio has come out with to date.

       fleximus-alex1

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Cydle’s HD Radio/Traffic PND and M7 MID

Dec 23

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At International CES, Cydle to Unveil World’s First GPS-Multimedia Combo with Free HD Live Traffic Updates

Multifunction is the Byword as Company Extends its Line; New Units Blend GPS, HD Traffic, HD Radio, Video, Audio, Bluetooth and More

Cydle (www.cydle.com), the emerging leader in car-based multimedia systems and one of South Korea’s biggest electronics makers, is poised to launch a diverse suite of products that includes the world’s first portable GPS with built-in HD Radio and free HD live traffic updates.

The company’s line of wireless digital devices seamlessly integrate capabilities that combine navigation with entertainment – including GPS, Live HD traffic update, HD Radio, rich multimedia, Bluetooth, WiFi, black box, mobile TV technology and more.

“The car should be a haven,” said Woody Lee, U.S. director of sales, Cydle. “Whether a driver needs accurate traffic information and alternate routes to get somewhere on time, wants to watch a video of his or her family while on a business trip, or simply wants to enjoy a favorite tune. We provide all of that, at the highest quality, from a single device.”

Poised for rollout at CES in Las Vegas on January 7:

GPS with HD Traffic Update – new technology delivers Live Traffic updates 10x faster than competitors. Cydle’s new T43H is the world’s first portable navigation system with built-in HD Radio to include free HD Traffic, offering real-time updates 10 times faster than other traffic message channels. The T43H contains an Internal & External antenna and refreshes automatically to include the latest information about accidents, traffic speed and road construction areas. Drivers simply punch in the destination and get real-time alerts as they go.

The T43H goes beyond navigation to serve as a holistic entertainment device with a high-resolution 4.3-inch screen, combining a rich media video player, audio player and picture viewer into a single device. The T43H is available through select online retailers for $299. There is no subscription fee.

Combined GPS and Multimedia Players. Cydle will unveil two additional products that combine a GPS unit and a multimedia player with wider touch screens. Both the T70 (with a 7-inch screen) and T50 (5-inch screen) are basic GPS units; the T70BX also comes with the black box unit built-in. All are available with a range of options, including HD Radio, Live HD Traffic update, Bluetooth, WiFi, mobile TV, and black box (with the T70 and T50).

BX1 – a Black Box for the car. The new Cydle BX1 continually updates every 30 seconds to keep a running video of events while driving. When the G-force shock sensor detects an event, Cydle BX1 retains data from 15 seconds before and after the impact. The footage is saved to an SD Card, making it accessible and viewable on a PC. That information can help discover what happened and can be used as evidence in an investigation. The Cydle BX1 will be available in the United States in Q1 2010, with a suggested retail price of $149.

Mobile Internet Device. Cydle’s new M7 Mobile Internet Device (MID) functions as an Internet search appliance, a digital photo frame and multimedia player (music and movies), and incorporates HDMI support. Eight GB of memory comes standard, expandable to 16GB. Highly portable and ideal for hands-free operation, the unit features an embedded screen cover that acts as a stand when the device is in use, and supports both vertical and horizontal views. The M7 is expected to carry a retail price of $199, with shipping slated for 2Q, 2010.

“With advanced technologies that uniformly make life easier for motorists specifically and for consumers overall, Cydle is en route to becoming the dashboard companion of choice for those who want to break away from the pack,” Lee said. “At 2010 CES, we’re ready to raise the bar – again.”

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Fujitsu LifeBook MH380 netbook

Dec 22

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Fujitsu Introduces Stylish, Highly Mobile Mini-Notebook With Latest Processor Technology From Intel

LifeBook MH380 Mini-Notebook Features New Intel(R) Atom(TM) Processor N450 and 10.1-inch Display, Weighs Just 2.97 Pounds

Fujitsu (http://solutions.us.fujitsu.com) announced today in North America one of the first mini-notebooks to feature the new Intel(R) Atom(TM) Processor N450 (code-named Pine Trail), which offers increased processor and graphics performance and features greater energy efficiency for reduced power and improved battery life. The glossy, ruby-red LifeBook(R) MH380 mini-notebook has a starting weight of just 2.97 pounds and sports a 10.1-inch high definition HD display, webcam, Bluetooth, large hard drive and standard six-cell battery offering up to seven hours of battery life(1). With Microsoft(R) Windows(R) 7 Starter as the operating system, the LifeBook MH380 mini-notebook offers computing in a lightweight, highly mobile configuration.

Fujitsu LifeBook MH380 Mini-Notebook Highlights

2.97-pound starting configuration
Up to seven hours of battery life with standard six-cell battery
New Intel Atom Processor N450
Glossy ruby-red finish with chrome accents
10.1-inch HD display with 1366 x 768 maximum resolution
250 GB hard drive and 1 GB of RAM memory
Windows 7 Starter with Microsoft Works 9.0 and Microsoft Office Home and Student 60-day trial
Atheros(R) 802.11 b/g/n wireless
10/100 LAN card
Integrated webcam and Bluetooth wireless
Priced at $449 for a fixed configuration. Available next month through the Fujitsu website and select retailers/e-tailers(2).
QUOTE

Paul Moore, Senior Director of Mobile Product Management, Fujitsu America “The LifeBook MH380 mini-notebook represents the next generation in this class of product. Users will experience better performance while maintaining a very lightweight affordable PC. The LifeBook MH380 mini-notebook combines the new Intel(R) Atom(TM) Processor and Fujitsu know-how to create a highly reliable, energy-efficient mobile platform that enables mobile users to get more done while constantly on the go.”

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Will 3D TV live up to the hype?

Dec 22

Posted by Rachel Green in News | No Comments

3D HDTV has been getting a lot of press attention recently. With all the major manufacturers due to release new 3D HDTV models within the next 12 months and a foray of new cinema and Blu-ray releases using various 3D technologies, it looks like the resurgence of this old media format might actually have legs.

We should point out that this wouldn’t be the first time 3D TV has tried to enter the mass market. However, this time, it’s a little different. Audio visual advancements and proprietary upgrades to the HDMI Cable standard have made 3D presentations of late rather enjoyable to watch. Most notably, improvements in smoother frame rates, increased visual fidelity and higher screen resolutions make the 3D experience truly come alive like never before.

With James Cameron’s heavily praised use of 3D on AVATAR, this could be the push that 3D really needs to enter the mass market.

But at GBHDMI, we’re a little sceptical, 3D is undoubtedly great – but will it really compete with HDTV or merely become an attractive side addition to home theatre setups? We believe that 3D will eventually penetrate the home market, but it will be some time before the public are universally enjoying the benefits of 3D media in their home.

Here’s two reasons why…

1. The use of glasses make it less accessible than watching standard or high-definition TV

Apart from autosteroscopic methods of 3D projection (which are known to give headaches), all other 3D technologies require the user to don some form of glasses. Misplacing one of these glasses or simply not having enough in your front room, pub or gallery means that it’s not universally accessible to all. It isn’t an entertainment format that can be enjoyed on the spur of the moment.

Think about watching a football match with your family in 3D at home and unexpectedly a mate pops over to enjoy it too?

2. 3D uptake will be slow as most consumers have already made the jump and upgraded their TVs to HD

A recent article from the BBC has identified that 56% of the UK has now replaced their standard definition TVs for HD ones. That’s pretty good news. However, only 9% of this group are actually consuming HD material from Blu-ray’s, satellite and cable broadcasters. What does this mean? Well, if the uptake for HD equipment and material has been this slow so far, what do you think it will mean for people to upgrade their TVs, 3D HDMI cable and Blu-ray players in order to play this type of content? We don’t know for sure, but we can tell you that it will be a long, long time.

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