Sunday, September 29, 2013

Sensorama 3D movies, stereo sound, vibrations, aromas, wind

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Blue Jeans Network securesh $50 million in funding

http://mobile.reuters.com/article/idUSL2N0HD0ZU20130918?irpc=932

Blue Jeans Network secures $50 million in funding
Wed, Sep 18 07:30 AM EDT
Sept 18 (Reuters) - Blue Jeans Network, a software-based video conferencing company, has raised $50 million in new funding led by Battery Ventures, the startup said on Wednesday.
The new funding round brings overall financing to nearly $100 million, Blue Jeans Network said.
The company, founded in November 2009, allows users to talk to each other no matter what video service they use.
It enables Skype users to talk with those using Google hangout, for example, and bridges services from vendors such as Microsoft, Cisco or Polycom. It is also integrated with LinkedIn.
"Along the way, Blue Jeans set a new standard for SaaS (software as a service) business models with exceptional revenue growth and retention rates that rivals companies like Salesforce and Workday at similar stages," said Battery Ventures' general partner Roger Lee.
The company was founded by former Cisco executive Krish Ramakrishnan and former Blue Coat Systems CTO Alagu Periyannan and is backed by Accel Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, and New Enterprise Associates, who also participated in the new funding round.
Blue Jeans Network's customers include Facebook, Foursquare, Match.com and Stanford University.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Startups don’t compete with airlines by purchasing a bunch of planes

Good videoconferencing quote:

“Startups don’t compete with airlines by purchasing a bunch of planes, hiring a bunch of pilots and locking up a bunch of terminals at airports. Startups compete with airlines by inventing videoconferencing.” - unknown entrepreneur



Get the Polycom Experience -- Virtual Tour of Polycom EEC

Fwd: See What's New from Videology Imaging Solutions at ASIS 2013


Begin forwarded message:

From: "Videology Imaging Solutions" <VideologyImagingSolutions@ExhibitorInvites.com>
Date: September 17, 2013, 5:05:10 AM PDT
Subject: See What's New from Videology Imaging Solutions at ASIS 2013

See What's New from Videology Imaging Solutions at ASIS 2013
ASIS 2013 | September 24-27 | Chicago
Official ASIS 2013 Exhibitor:
Videology Imaging Solutions
Carol Ethier
President / CEO
(401) 949-5332
sales@videologyinc.com
www.videologyinc.com
Videology Imaging Solutions

We're proud to be exhibiting at ASIS 2013,
and we want to see you there!

Be sure to visit us in booth 2244 to learn more about our company including:


Videology Imaging Solutions

Videology's 1.3 MP, USB Photo ID Camera Provides Power, Camera and Synchronized, Variable Flash Control.

Register today for free exhibits admission at ASIS 2013.
We hope you'll stop by to see us at booth 2244.

More than 700 companies are eager to provide you with the smart solutions you need to keep your organization secure. Don't miss out on this once-a-year opportunity to:
  • See hundreds of new products
  • Compare the latest innovations from leading suppliers
  • Talk to the experts face-to-face
  • Conduct a year's worth of research in three days
From a show floor packed with innovations to forward-thinking education to limitless networking opportunities—you'll find the information and tools you need to mitigate risk and succeed in today's challenging threat environment.

Register today!

Please note: As long as you register online through this invite, you will automatically receive the discounted rate ($0 exhibits only). If you choose to print this invite and bring it to on-site registration, you'll need to use the code: EI-497 in order receive free exhibit admission.

ASIS 2013
1625 Prince Street Alexandria, Virginia 22314-2818
Tel: +1.703.519.6200 | Contact Us

© 2013 Exhibitor Invites, LLC.

Monday, September 16, 2013

Life-sized, human holograms could soon grace your living room

http://www.dvice.com/2013-7-26/life-sized-human-holograms-could-soon-grace-your-living-room

Update: It looks like the Kickstarter project has hit a snag. According to the project's page:
"HOLOVISION: A Life Size Hologram is the subject of an intellectual property dispute and is currently unavailable."
Yikes! Full copyright complaint right here. The original video has been removed from the original story below as well.

Whether it was Princess Leia or the shark from Back to the Future 2, there was likely a movie moment that made you wish holograms were not only real, but that you could have one. And while hologram projectors exist in today's world, they're far from a universally accepted bit of tech. But now, one of the leading names in hologram projection is hoping to create something that we'll all want to own: a human-sized hologram.
This is not some projected-on-glass quasi-hologram, either. HoloVision, as the product is being called, promises to be a free-floating, life-sized image which will hover an impressive eight feet from its projector. That's better than R2D2 can muster. It'll also be full color, leaving the astromechs of science fiction squarely in the dust.
There will be limitations, however. It's easy to think that a life-sized human being, standing in your living room, would be capable of giving you a hug, for instance. But if that breakthrough is coming, it hasn't arrived yet. Holodeck creations these are not. And images projected through the magic of HoloVision won't be able to follow you into the kitchen for a snack either — not unless you've got a whole network of HoloVision cameras, anyway.
But with those limitations aside, HoloVision really seems like it could become a part of our lives — if it comes to fruition. The company behind HoloVision, Provision 3D Media, is currently running a Kickstarter in the hope of raising $950,000 to bring the tech to life. And while a human-sized hologram is their current goal, Provision sees the future of their products as being as large or small as we need them to be, entirely interactive, and fully integrated into our daily lives. Basically, they want to give us all Tony Stark's workshop. (But that's down the line.)
As for now, a life-sized full-color Princess Leia will have to do. Catch the video below to check out the HoloVision concept and how it might look if it becomes a reality.

DataImage LCD Manufacturer

http://www.dataimage.com.tw/index.php

I first came across this company when reverse engineering the Archos video player.


SanDisk Has a Crazy Big 256GB CF Card

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/sandisk-compactflash-256gb-vpg-65-udma-7,24256.html


SanDisk launched on Thursday the "world's first" high-capacity CompactFlash card supporting the latest Video Performance Guarantee (VPG-65) specification. This card packs an impressive 256 GB of storage capacity so that professional photographers and videographers can focus on their content rather than the storage space on their device.
According to SanDisk, the 256 GB Extreme Pro CompactFlash card is optimized to capture 4K and Full HD video, hence the VPG-65 certification. The card also delivers a minimum sustained write speed of 65 MB/s and a maximum of 140 MB/s – the read speed is up to 160 MB/s. This card is also UDMA 7 enabled, the company said.
"We always design our SanDisk Extreme Pro cards with professional photographers and videographers in mind," said Susan Park, director, mobile and imaging worldwide retail product marketing, SanDisk. "Cinema-quality 4K video capture demands tremendous performance and capacity, which is exactly what we have delivered with the new 256GBSanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash card."
In addition to the 256 GB capacity, SanDisk also announced that the entire Extreme Pro CompactFlash line of memory cards has been refreshed with faster speeds. This family includes 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB capacity cards that now have read speeds up to 160 MB/s and write speeds up to 150 MB/s. These cards also have the same VPG-65 certification as the new 256 GB monster.
"SanDisk Extreme Pro memory cards are designed for professionals and are backed by a lifetime limited warranty," the company said. "The cards are durability tested, include RTV silicone coating inside for added protection against shock and vibration, and perform in extreme temperatures from minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit to 185 degrees Fahrenheit."
The updated cards also include a one year downloadable offer for RescuePRO media recovery software, which lets photographers recover their images in case of accidental deletion, the company said. All five cards are now shipping worldwide costing between $219.99 and a whopping $1,809.99 USD. For more information about this specific series, head here.

Friday, September 13, 2013

Marshall Mcluhan Full lecture: The medium is the message - 1977 part 1 v 3

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/ImaH51F4HBw
Part 1


http://youtu.be/a11DEFm0WCw
Part 2


http://youtu.be/CtpX8A7Q2pE
Part 3

Wireless SSDV images from a canon camera using RTTY on CHDK



http://chris-stubbs.co.uk/wp/?p=375

Canon PowerShot A530 is used to broadcast photographs over a Radiometrix NTX2 FSK radio module, in a similar way Dave Akerman does on his Raspbbery Pi payloads.

http://hackaday.com/2013/09/12/digital-camera-becomes-video-transmitter/

In the arena of high altitude balloons, Canon’s PowerShot series of digicams are the camera du jour for sending high into the stratosphere. There’s a particular reason for this: these cameras can run the very capable CHDK firmware that turns a $100 digicam into a camera with a built-in intervalometer along with a whole bunch of really cool features. It appears this CHDK firmware is much more powerful than we imagined, because [Chris] is now transmitting pictures taken from a Canon a530 to the ground, using only the CHDK firmware and a cheap radio module.

These PowerShot cameras have an ARM processor inside that runs VxWorks, a minimal but very capable OS for embedded devices and Mars rovers. By tying in to the Tx and Rx lines of the camera, [Chris] can issue commands to the OS, change settings, and even install his own code.

With the help of [Phil Heron]‘s SSDV encoder written in C, [Chris] was able to get the camera to transmit images  with a small radio transmitter that fits in the battery compartment. Right now, [Chris] has only built the CHDK + SSDV for the Canon a530, but with how useful this build is, we expect to see an improved version very shortly.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Beamr Video Launched today at IBC - brief/coverage suggestion




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Beamr Video Heralds New Era of User Experience, Delivering
High Definition Video at Unprecedented Low Bandwidths

Transformational Video Optimization Technology Reduces Video Bitrates by 50 Percent While Retaining Highest Quality, Makes Global Debut at International Broadcasting Conference (IBC) 


TEL AVIV, Israel and AMSTERDAM, Netherlands [September 12, 2013] - Beamr Video (www.beamrvideo.com), a next-generation, patented video optimization technology enabling smooth delivery of HD video at speed and quality levels never before imaginable, will debut at the International Broadcasting Conference (IBC) (www.ibc.org) in Amsterdam, September 12 – 16, 2013, the premier annual event for professionals engaged in the creation, management and delivery of entertainment and news content.

On display at Booth # B20 in Hall 3 at IBC, the Beamr Video optimization technology automatically reduces the bitrate of any H.264 video stream by up to 50 percent without affecting perceptual quality or altering the format of the original stream.

Drives Improved User Experience (UX) With Digital Video Compression Innovation
Representing a transformational trend in the broadcasting industry, Beamr Video is raising the bar on video quality and UX by overcoming bandwidth challenges present with many current infrastructure designs.  Beamr Video significantly reduced bitrates to enable internet content providers, network operators, on-demand video services and over-the-top (OTT) service providers to distribute exceptionally high quality video with faster downloads and smoother streaming on bandwidth constrained connections. Beamr Video produces fully compliant H.264 (MPEG-4 AVC) video streams and is device agnostic, making high quality video accessible from any media player, browser or consumer devices such as smartphones or tablets, without installing additional software.

Eliminates Bandwidth Strain While Improving Video Quality
Currently undergoing extensive lab and field-testing by multiple major Hollywood studios, Beamr Video's patent-pending automated algorithms enable a high-quality streaming experience that ensures the maximum quality with the lowest bitrate. 

"4K resolutions represent the next step in high-definition video, but until now providing content in this new format has posed daunting technical challenges.  Beamr Video has figured out how to reduce the massive footprint of video files, so they can be distributed efficiently and cost effectively," said Sharon Carmel, founder and CEO of Beamr, the innovative media optimization technology company that already powers several of the world's leading media companies, social networks and web publishers. 

"The recently proposed High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC/H.265) standard promises up to 50 percent bitrate reduction compared to the existing H.264 standard, but it will take at least four to six years for mass-market penetration," said Carmel.  "Beamr Video is solving the bandwidth bottleneck now, offering the same reduction ratios for H.264 streams today as those promised by HEVC. More importantly, we can do so without forcing users to download any additional software or programs."

About Beamr  Beamr is an innovative private company comprised of the world's leading imaging scientists, veterans of the Israeli technology industry who are also successful entrepreneurs. Headquartered in Tel Aviv, Beamr is focused on improving the quality, speed and user experience of photo and video sharing. For more information about Beamr Video please visit: www.beamrvideo.com.

About IBC
IBC is the premier annual event for professionals engaged in the creation, management and delivery of entertainment and news content worldwide. The event's unparalleled exhibition and agenda setting conference encompass the very latest developments in broadcasting, mobile TV, IPTV, digital signage and R&D making it essential for everyone's understanding of the industry and its future.  To find out more about the IBC Conference please visit www.ibc.org/conference


# # #

SensoGlove World's First Digital Golf Glove Now Available in India



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Karen Thomas, Thomas PR <kthomas@thomaspr.com>
Date: Thu, Sep 12, 2013 at 11:21 AM
Subject: SensoGlove World's First Digital Golf Glove Now Available in India



Photos:
SensoGlove New Version:
http://www.thomas-pr.com/136/photos/sensosolutionssensogloveclubnew.html
http://www.thomas-pr.com/136/photos/sensosolutionssensoglovenew.html
http://www.thomas-pr.com/136/photos/sensosolutionssensoglovenew2.html
http://www.thomas-pr.com/136/photos/sensosolutionssensoglovealonenew.html
SensoGlove Logo: http://www.thomas-pr.com/136/photos/sensosolutionssensoglove.html

Release: http://www.thomas-pr.com/sensosolutions/sensosolutionsnewsensogloveindiarelease.html

Contact:
Karen Thomas/Eva Yutani
Thomas PR (631) 549-7575

kthomas@thomaspr.com eyutani@thomaspr.com www.thomas-pr.com www.thomaspublicrelations.com

SENSOGLOVE SIGNS EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT WITH
INDIAN DISTRIBUTOR GTL VENTURES TO SELL SENSOGLOVE IN INDIA

SensoGlove Now Available in India –
GTL Ventures Partners with PGA Golf & Teaching Professionals to Introduce
First Digital Golf Glove Exclusively to India

Sensoglove Corrects "Death Grip" for Better, More Accurate & Powerful Golf Swing

September 12, 2013, Aachen, Germany – Sensosolutions www.sensoglove.com, a leading provider of innovative IT systems for sports analysis, motion and performance measurement, announced today that SensoGlove, the world's first digital golf glove, is now available in India through an exclusive agreement with Indian distributor GTL Ventures www.gtlventures.com.  GTL Ventures has partnered with PGA Golf and teaching professionals to introduce SensoGlove exclusively to India.

SensoGlove helps golfers of all levels improve their game, working as a personal golf trainer to help avoid bad habits and injuries.  Made of the highest quality cabretta leather, SensoGlove's built-in digital sensors continuously read grip pressure to ensure a consistently accurate, smooth and powerful golf swing.  With SensoGlove, all golfers (from beginner to advanced), can quickly learn how to hold the club, improving every part of their game, from backswing, downswing, impact, follow-through, to driving, putting, and chipping. 

SensoGlove Now Available Internationally in 20 Countries

"I don't see any reason why EVERYONE playing the game in India, will not like SensoGlove," said Manikya Narain Wahal, GTL Ventures.  Developed based on feedback from international PGA professionals, SensoGlove is  available internationally in the U.S., Canada, Germany, and 20 other countries, including India, through websites, distributors, sales partners, and golf schools around the world, including www.sensoglove.com, www.GolfStoreHome.com, www.Intheholegolf.com, www.Convenientgadgets.com, Shankmeister.com, and more. 

SensoGlove Available for Men and Women

SensoGlove is available for men and women in right or left hand configurations, sizes small to x-large, priced at $89 (replacement gloves are available for $22.48).   Made of cabretta leather, the built-in digital monitor can be removed to use SensoGlove as a regular golf glove.  For more information, please visit www.sensoglove.com.

About Sensosolutions

Sensosolutions GmbH is a leading German-based company specializing in the development of highly innovative IT systems for sports analysis, motion, and performance measurement.  Sensosolutions is the creator of SensoGlove, the first and only golf glove with built-in sensors that constantly read the pressure of your grip.  SensoGlove teaches you the correct grip pressure for a smooth, consistent swing that delivers greater distance, enhanced precision and lower scores.  For more information, see www.sensoglove.com.



Fwd: Press Release - ULTRA LOW-COST MULTICAST/OTT HD IP SET-TOP BOX WITH NANO DESIGN AT IBC

Can't post the attachment, but you can follow the links to their web site. 

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ANTIK Telecom <pr@antik.sk>
Date: Thu, Sep 12, 2013 at 6:48 AM
Subject: Press Release - ULTRA LOW-COST MULTICAST/OTT HD IP SET-TOP BOX WITH NANO DESIGN AT IBC
To: pr@antik.sk


Dear Sir/Madam

Please find attached a press release from ANTIK Technology:


ULTRA LOW-COST MULTICAST/OTT HD IP SET-TOP BOX WITH NANO DESIGN AT IBC

Introduction:
-----------
ANTIK Technology launches ultra low-cost Multicast/OTT HD IP set-top box
in miniature design based on powerful chipset STiH207 Liege by
STMicrosystems. Prototype of Juice Nano will be presented during IBC 2013
in stand of ANTIK 242 in Hall 14.

You will find the whole press release attached.

Best regards,

Igor Kolla
ANTIK Technology
Carskeho 10
040 01 Kosice
Slovakia
tel.: +421 948 228 122
e-mail: pr@antik.sk
www.antiktech.com www.juiceiptv.com

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Real Artificial Brains

http://www.artificialbrains.com/darpa-synapse-program

DARPA SyNAPSE Program

SyNAPSE is a DARPA-funded program to develop electronic neuromorphic machine technology that scales to biological levels. More simply stated, it is an attempt to build a new kind of computer with similar form and function to the mammalian brain. Such artificial brains would be used to build robots whose intelligence matches that of mice and cats.

SyNAPSE is a backronym standing for Systems of Neuromorphic Adaptive Plastic Scalable Electronics. It started in 2008 and as of January 2013 has received $102.6 million in funding. It is scheduled to run until around 2016. The project is primarily contracted to IBM and HRL who in turn subcontract parts of the research to various US universities.

The ultimate aim is to build an electronic microprocessor system that matches a mammalian brain in function, size, and power consumption. It should recreate 10 billion neurons, 100 trillion synapses, consume one kilowatt (same as a small electric heater), and occupy less than two liters of space.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Jimmy Kimmel Reveals "Worst Twerk Fail EVER - Girl Catches Fire"


Jimmy Kimmel masterfully engineered a viral video.  Completely PWNz the traditional news and media outlets.

What's interesting is the clips that show how some news channels immediately ate this up to put their own spin on it. I am sure it's just an innocent quest for ratings but it show how low these news channels have sunk to.



OmniVision Introduces World's Smallest 1080p HD Camera

http://www.techhive.com/article/196568/tiny_hd_webcams.html

OmniVision Technologies has introduced its OV2720 (press release PDF), which it claims is the world's smallest high-definition (HD) CMOS image sensor. It's intended for notebooks, netbooks, and webcams. For the uninitiated, OmniVision develops camera technology for phones, laptops, webcams, and video cameras.
The OV2720 compared to a quarter. [photo: OmniVision Technologies]
This camera has a sensor that measures a mere 1/6 of an inch, and it supports full 1080p HD video recording at 30 frames per second. The new sensor is based on what OmniVision calls its 1.4-micron OmniBSI backside illumination technology (pdf), which the company claims offers "conference-quality" HD video recording.
The OV2720 also supports multiple platform architectures and controllers, meaning that companies can build this camera module into a wide array of devices (theoretically including Arduino-based setups).
The OV2720 is currently being tested and is planned to go into mass production in June 2010.


HeyWatch | Video Encoding

 

Looks interesting.  I am amazed how much energy there seems to be in the video transcoding market.  This tells me we screwed up the formats for so many people to want to transcode in the cloud. 

Begin forwarded message:

From: Eric Fontaine <eric@particle-s.com>
Date: September 10, 2013, 10:00:42 AM PDT
To: 
Subject: Scheduling a meeting

Dear X,

My name is Eric Fontaine and I work at HeyWatch, pioneer in professional, cloud-based video transcoding since 2006.

I am contacting you as we both work in the online video industry and thought that you might be interested in knowing more about our professional, cloud-based video encoding platform. Actually, outsourcing video encoding to the cloud brings huge benefits:

  • Freeing yourself from maintaining a dedicated encoding/transcoding server farm.
  • Paying only for what you use, rather than having to maintain a fixed number of servers no matter how large or small your actual demand is.
  • Economies of scale, faster deployment and format responsiveness.
  • Drastically reducing capital expenditures: no need to hire more IT people, to buy new hardware and software, to pay licensing fees for using specific codecs...
  • Avoiding technical headaches and focusing on core and value-added activities: acquiring new customers and recruiting great partners.

Feel free to run as many tests as you need - for free (no credit card required) - thanks to our Sandbox environment.

Whether Broadcast, Mobile or Web, HeyWatch has been providing its powerful cloud Video Encoding Software, flexible HTTP Live Streaming and engaging Video Preview API to hundreds of startups and large organizations including Sony, Rightster, Tumblr, Fotolia, Unruly Media, SchoolTube, Kit Digital, Kickapps, Digedu, Mindsy, Dotsub and Flavorus among many others for the past 6 years.

Please X, let me know when you are available.

Best,

  Eric Fontaine

VP Business
HeyWatch | Video Encoding

HeyWatch | Video Encoding Service

Follow us on Twitter @HeyWatch


BBC News - Virgin Media pilots Netflix video-on-demand on Tivo

http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24024364

Monday, September 09, 2013

So Real it's Scary


Comment from friend:
   Ha!  That's funny (and I think the comments are wrong about it being green screen - sure, you could do the same trick using green screen techniques and then making sure you use actual actors to fake reactions, but a strong sheet of about 1/4" thick clear acrylic overlaid on top of the flat screens would prevent any damage to the screens and still not spoil the effect).  But, that said, my favorite elevator video is still that girl ghost in the elevator trick from Brazil.


Fwd: 3G HDSDI better video conference



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From:
Date: Sunday, September 8, 2013
Subject: Fwd: 3G HDSDI better video conference
To: andycheung@multipixhdtv.com


Dear AV professionals,

  Today, high definition cameras are widely applied, video quality becomes the big concern in video conference / live video streaming applications, MULTIPIX's new HDSDI Pan Tilt Zoom Camera will brings you the highest video quality in broadcasting standard in 1080 60P, together with the twenty time zoom high definition lens the camera will show more details as you ever seen before.
 
MP-SDI920P key features:

* 3G HDSDI 1080 60P
* Full HD 1080P 20x Zoom
* Pan / Tilt / Zoom
* Various HD Interface: HDSDI / DVI / HDMI 
* VISCA Protocol support
 

HDMI <-> HDSDI converter, HDSDI Zoom Camera, HDMI  Zoom Camera, HDSDI DVR are also available from Multipix

for more details please visit our web site: www.multipixhdtv.com

thank you!
Marketing Dept.
Multipix Intelligent Systems






Fwd: Introducing Ace Thought Technologies



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Saachi Dhillon
Date: Monday, September 9, 2013
Subject: Introducing Ace Thought Technologies


Dear John,
 
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to Ace Thought Technologies, a leading provider of media processing software,  specializing in high-quality and efficient Video & Audio Codec software solutions for multimedia applications on mobiles and other platforms.
 
Our Core Solutions: 
·         Early implementation of for smartphones, tablets, desktops, TV and set top boxes 
·         Embedded Software Codecs for Multi-Core/Single-Core ARM processors (Cortex-A8, A9, A15) on Android, iOS, Linux
- HEVC/ H.265, H.264, H.263, VC-1, WMV9, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, HE-AAC, AAC, MP3
·         Software development for Multi-Core CPU (ARM, Intel, AMD) and GPUs (Nvidia)
·         Application development on Mobile Platforms like iPhone, Android
 
For additional information, please find attached a brief Company Overview.
 
Please get in touch to discuss codec licensing or any other suitable business opportunities. Should you require further information or have any queries, please do not hesitate to ask. I look forward to hearing from you. 
 
Regards,
Saachi
 
Saachi Dhillon
Product Marketing Manager, Ace Thought Technologies
 
IT C-7, KMG Towers, 2nd Floor
IT Park, Sector 67, SAS Nagar
Punjab - 160062, INDIA
M: + 91 9779452864
Skype: saachi_acethought
Follow us: Twitter I LinkedIn
2012 Red Herring Asia 100 Finalist