Posts Tagged optical

Free Giveaway! show iCal events on desk top with iDeskCal

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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Intel predicts optical future for consumer gadgets with 10Gb/s Light Peak interface

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Though it may not make it into everyone’s ‘top ten’ list of most desirable technological developments, replacing the spaghetti-junction of wires that typically gathers behind a desk or workspace would undoubtedly be a welcome advance. Wireless peripherals are helping the situation somewhat and wireless power will be a massive boon once perfected, but in the meantime we’re looking to technologies like optical cables to handle high-volume data transfer. Intel’s recent research in this area should be of particular interest, since it’s designed to replace or augment connections used in consumer-based electronics, such as USB2.0, HDMI, Firewire, DVI and the like.

Codenamed ‘Light Peak’, this high-speed optical cable is just 125 microns thick – or around that of a human hair – and will begin transferring data at 10Gb/s, though it is expandable to scale up to 100Gb/s over the next decade. Compare this to the recently certified USB3.0 and you’ll find the optical solution to be twice as fast, but speed isn’t the only benefit of the new technology.

Light Peak will also be capable of handling multiple protocols at once over a single cable, so running a digital camera, MP3 player, set of speakers and a display simultaneously should be perfectly possible. Being optical, it isn’t subject to electromagnetic interference so performs even at lengths up to 100m, and because it is being manufactured in volume, it will work out around 30 times cheaper than traditional Telecom optical modules.

Since modern consumer peripherals aren’t capable of actually writing data at equivalent speeds, Light Peak’s multi-protocol benefits are likely to be the most immediate for consumers, and the first step will be to facilitate its adoption into electronic devices to create a new technology standard.

Intel is currently working with optical device manufacturers to test and perfect the technology for the consumer market and plans to begin shipments in 2010, 50 years after the first laser was invented.

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HDMI OVER CAT5/6 ETHERNET EXTENDER TRANSPORTS HDMI, I.R. AND DIGITAL OPTICAL AUDIO by OCTAVA

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The HDMI-OCAT-IR HDMI over Ethernet Transceiver allows installers to use a pair of standard CAT 5/ 6 cables to carry HDMI, I.R. control, and Optical Digital Toslink Audio signals for simple and efficient installations.

Norcross, Ga. – Octava Inc., specialists in HDMI distribution equipment, announced the release of the next generation HDMI over CAT 5/6 Ethernet cable Extender, model HDMI-OCAT-IR.

This unique HDMI over CAT 5/6 Extender includes a set of HDMI Transmitter and a HDMI Receiver and allows transmission of HDMI , Infrared IR and Optical Digital Toslink Audio over 150ft over a pair of Ethernet cables. CAT 6 cable is recommended for 1080P and best performance.

The HDMI-OCAT-IR HDMI over Ethernet Transceiver allows installers to use a pair of standard CAT 5/ 6 cables to carry HDMI, I.R. control, and Optical Digital Toslink Audio signals for simple and efficient installations. Infrared Extension allows I.R. signals to be sent from viewing area to the equipment room. Optical Audio Toslink In/ Out port is provided to extend Optical Toslink Audio signal from Source to the Surround Sound Receiver.
Ethernet cables and connectors are easily field terminated thus allowing installers to easily install the proper length cable needed for ultimate flexibility and eliminate logistics problems of having custom length HDMI cables. This unique solution enables installers to have complete
A pair of Ethernet cables is required to carry the video / audio as well as HDCP data.
Active Drive and Compensation circuitry ensures error free video transmission for the ultimate HD experience. Typical connection lengths are:300 ft ( upto 50m), ( 1080i), 150ft (1080p). Both the receiver and transmitter include an external power supply to ensure best quality performance and do not require power from the HD source.
HDMI is the latest standard for distributing High Definition Digital Video and Audio in high def displays for 2 reasons: 1) uncompressed digital format ensures the best picture quality and 2) HDMI allows content providers to ensure that their intellectual property is protected through HDCP.

Product available at: http://www.ukhdmi.com

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Why HDMI? All you need to know before going digital

High Definition Multimedia Interface, or HDMI, is hailed as the next generation of audiovisual cabling. Simply put, HDMI is an all-digital connector that can carry high definition video and several digital audio channels all on the one cable. HDMI was first officially unveiled in 2003, but it’s only now that we’re starting to see widespread support for the standard. Is it something you should be seeking out?

2. How is it different from my current analog cables?monsterhdmihd

Analog video cables, such as component, composite or S-Video, are currently the main methods used to transfer picture signals in an average home system. Component is the highest quality analog cable as it breaks down the picture signal into three different cables — one each for red, blue and green. When you’ve got analog cabling connecting digital sources (such as an LCD or plasma screen with a DVD), the digital video or sound signals have to be converted into analog to travel through the cable, before being re-converted back into digital at the receiving end. This could lead to some signal degradation and a resulting loss in output quality.

3. What are the advantages of going digital with HDMI?

HDMI can deliver high quality sound or vision without the risk of quality loss due to the conversion or compression of a video or audio signal. HDMI pictures should be smoother and sharper, with a distinct reduction in video noise. Sound should be crisp and taut, without any distortion. And of course, using the single cable HDMI can get rid of a lot of messy cables snaking around your home theatre kit.

Because of its digital nature, HDMI also works well with fixed-pixel displays such as LCD, plasma or DLP screens and projectors. A HDMI cable allows you to exactly match pixel-by pixel the native resolution of the screen with whatever source device you’ve got connected. HDMI systems will also automatically convert a picture into its most appropriate format, such as 16:9 or 4:3.

HDMI has some built-in smarts that allow you to control any device connected via HDMI through the one remote. Since the HDMI connection allows two-way communication between devices, it gives you basic universal remote-like functions which, for example, can tell the components in an HDMI-linked system to turn on when you want to watch a DVD, just with the press of a button.

4. How does DVI fit into the equation? Is it better than HDMI?

You may have heard of digital video interface (DVI), which is another all-digital connector for video. DVI has been around for longer, and can be found in many more televisions and other devices than HDMI. DVI was initially developed as a connector between PCs and monitors, but eventually found its way into the home entertainment world.DVIandHDMIhd

The HDMI standard is actually based on DVI, so picture quality should be identical. Where HDMI has it over DVI is its audio capabilities — DVI can only carry video signals. HDMI cables can also be made longer than DVI — HDMI can go up to 15m in length. And from an aesthetic viewpoint, HDMI connectors are less bulky than DVI ones. HDMI connects like a USB device for PCs, while DVI still has screw pins on its connector. However, this means that HDMI connections are more prone to damage from accidental knocks so more care needs to be taken with them.

5. I’ve got some gear with DVI connectors. Will they work with HDMI?

As HDMI is fully backwards compatible with DVI, so you won’t be making your DVI products obsolete if you buy something with an HDMI connector. For example, HDMI televisions will display video received from existing DVI-equipped products, while a HDMI DVD player will play on a DVI-equipped television. All you’ll need is a HDMI/DVI adaptor. Just be aware that doing this will lose you the added functionality of HDMI, such as automatic screen format conversion and universal remote control.

6. What products support HDMI?

HDMI has been on the market for a while now, and most new DVD players, set-top boxes and TVs feature at least one HDMI port.HDMIinputsonhd

On the display side of the equation, most new screens, projectors and DVD players support the standard. If you’re looking to buy a device like a TV or AV receiver look for the most HDMI ports yu can afford. Three is the minimum you should expect from today’s devices, while DVD players and the like only usually require one output. Also, be aware that an HDMI port currently only sends information in one direction — though there are moves to change this in the future. As a result, it’s not possible to use a HDMI output port on a PC, for example, to display a PS3 signal.

7. Where can I get HDMI cables?

If you own a component with HDMI but don’t have a cable for it, then there are several cable manufacturers who sell HDMI gear. www.ukhdmi.com, for example, sell HDMI cables and HDMI to DVI cables under their Cablesson range of interconnects. www.ukhdmi.com also has a comprehensive selection of HDMI products. HDMI cables and adapters have been developed in a joint partnership with HDMI’s founder, Silicon Image.

8. What do the different versions mean?

While the latest version of HDMI is up to 1.3c, but there are four main versions that most equipment will correspond to — 1.0, 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3. Notice that the versions signify changes to the types of audio they can transmit, as all versions should be able to transmit HD video up to 1080p.

1.0 This is the first version of HDMI and it was ratified in late 2002. It will decode most versions of audio contained in DVD and digital TV signals, including Dolby Digital and DTS.

1.1 This version added DVD-Audio support, which means users with compatible disks and players can listen to 5.1 channel audio streams without the need for six separate audio RCA cables.

1.2/1.2a The main improvement on 1.1 is the addition of Super Audio CD (SACD) support, which means users no longer need to rely on iLink or analog cables to listen to SACDs. The standard also adds support for an as-yet unused Type A PC connector.

1.3/1.3a/1.3b Version 1.3 adds support for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio which are used in Blu-ray players. Increasingly, AV receivers are including decoding for these standards on board, while devices the PlayStation 3 will output a decoded signals. The 1.3 standard also increases the available bandwidth by a factor of two to 10Gbps. Though 1.3b and 1.3c exist they don’t add any further functionality over 1.3a, and so are interchangeable.

9.What’s this I hear about Wireless HDMI?

Eventually, every technology goes wireless, and with Wi-Fi and Wireless USB now in play it makes sense that manufacturers have turned their eyes to making HDMI clutter-free too. Only thing is, it doesn’t work yet. Belkin showed off their FlyWire technology behind closed doors at CES 2008, and it hasn’t been heard of since. There is, as yet, no standard for Wireless HDMI, and so it’s not really worth holding out for. Also, Wireless HDMI is not to be confused with WirelessHD — this is a separate technology used by manufacturers such as Sony to send signals from a media box to slim, wall-mounted TVs.

On the display side of the equation, most new screens, projectors and DVD players support the standard. If you’re looking to buy a device like a TV or AV receiver look for the most HDMI ports yu can afford. Three is the minimum you should expect from today’s devices, while DVD players and the like only usually require one output. Also, be aware that an HDMI port currently only sends information in one direction — though there are moves to change this in the future. As a result, it’s not possible to use a HDMI output port on a PC, for example, to display a PS3 signal.

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