Saturday, May 31, 2014

Samsung is working with Oculus on a media-focused VR headset

http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/30/samsung-oculus-partnership/

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Fwd: Are you an expert in producing online video?


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Streaming Media <Streaming.Media@emediapro.com>
Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Subject: Are you an expert in producing online video?


Click here to view this message as a web page.
Streaming Media Producer Live
Call for Speakers Open

The Streaming Media Producer Live conference is a 2-day event designed to bring together independent producers, videographers, corporate videographers, and marketing teams to showcase the many ways they can create, use, and monetize online video. The conference will include expert instruction on key video production techniques for both live and on-demand online video, and strategies for creating audience-focused online videos that communicate their message dynamically and effectively.

If you?re interested in submitting a speaking proposal on a technical or strategic aspect of professional online video production?live or on-demand?you?ve come to the right place.

Submit your proposal!


Flat Panel Display Market Research Reports - Technology & Media Industry Analysis

http://www.marketresearch.com/map/research/flat_panel_display/936.html

50 Nokia Lumia 1020 Cameras Capture New York City in Bullet Time

http://petapixel.com/2014/05/21/50-nokia-lumia-1020-cameras-capture-new-york-city-bullet-time/

David Brin on sousveillance



Tuesday, May 20, 2014

This treadmill lets you walk in any direction








http://www.infinadeck.com/

http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/20/this-treadmill-lets-you-walk-in-any-direction/

Omni: Move Naturally in Your Favorite Game by Virtuix — Kickstarter


Arecont Vision Webinar: Parking Lot Applications and License Plate Capture


Begin forwarded message:

From: Arecont Vision <mchen@arecontvision.com>
Date: May 19, 2014 at 12:49:06 PM PDT
Subject: Arecont Vision Webinar: Parking Lot Applications and License Plate Capture

Arecont Vision Webinar: Parking Lot Applications and License Plate Capture



Arecont Vision Webinar: Focus on Logistics
Customer Webinar: Arecont Vision Update
Parking Lot Applications and License Plate Capture

Join us for an educational webinar and learn about using IP megapixel cameras to serve your customers and build a stronger business. You will also be entered in our monthly drawing for an IP megapixel camera AV10255AMIR ($1,900 value).
Win an MegaDome 2 Camera ($1,900 value)

On May 21, 2014 at 8:30 a.m. PST we will present:
  • The latest security industry and company news.
  • Innovative additions to our product line.
  • A presentation from our technology partner Exacq Technologies.
  • Success stories based on parking lot applications.
  • Technical tips for capturing license plates.
  • How IP megapixel cameras can provide your customers with surveillance systems that deliver better security along with a superior return on investment (ROI) and lower total cost of ownership (TCO).
Don't miss the opportunity to discover ways to increase your sales with
Arecont Vision Cameras.
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Arecont Vision
425 E. Colorado St, Glendale, CA, United States
Glendale, CA 91205

1 (818) 937-0700 | www.arecontvision.com 

Fwd: Haptics - 2014 Global Strategic Business Report



Begin forwarded message:

From: "Amy Cole" <amy.cole@researchandmarkets.org>
Date: May 19, 2014 at 3:01:58 PM PDT
Subject: Haptics - 2014 Global Strategic Business Report


      

Haptics - 2014 Global Strategic Business Report

The era of tactile computing has resulted in tactile interaction becoming an integral part of the interface design process of electronic devices. Defined as touch based sensory perceptions of texture, temperature, and other physical attributes of an object in a virtual environment, haptic feedback is poised to emerge into the future of human computer interface. Human interaction with computer applications and systems will be dominated by the science of touch largely due to a host of physiological and emotional reasons.

The touchscreen due to its operational simplicity and high utility has gained widespread adoption and today has become almost ubiquitous in smartphones and tablets. The advent of touch screen has greatly contributed towards the simplicity of using advanced electronic devices. Unlike traditional mechanical switches and buttons, touchscreens however do not provide tangible tactile feedback against selection of buttons. This inherent lack of tactile feedback in touchscreens provides the perfect business case for haptic tactile feedback.

For more information please click on:
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/publication/mgrosw1/haptics_global_strategic

Haptic technology wields a distinct emotional influence that drastically changes user experience of mobile media consumption. By stimulating real world tactile interactions, haptics provides the much important realistic, immersive, and intuitive interaction with electronic devices. Key benefits of haptic technology poised to drive its adoption include improved device usability, enhanced realism, the ability to create contextual awareness, and simulation of physical feedback which is critical for modern touchscreen devices where audio or visual confirmation are often insufficient. Emerging application areas of haptics include smartphones, tablets, virtual keyboards, gaming and media, automotive infotainment, climate control, navigation systems, robotic surgical systems, medical devices, and medical simulators, among others.

With mobile internet coming of age, and with increasing number of people accessing web content from mobile phones, smartphones, and tablet phones, the need to integrate haptics to facilitate mobile interaction is now more critical than ever. The limited screen size of mobile devices coupled with information explosion and screen overload and navigation challenges provides the perfect opportunity for haptics to make an impact. The technology holds the potential to enhance mobile interaction by significantly increasing available screen space. As abstract communication grows in prominence, haptics will witness a parallel rise in popularity as the preferred technology to provide system notifications and feedbacks and context sensitive interaction. Rise in mobile data usage is therefore poised to provide a fertile environment for the growth and proliferation of haptics.

This report analyzes the Global market for Haptics in US$ Million. The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for Taiwan, China, and South Korea. Annual estimates and forecasts are provided for the period 2012 through 2020. Market data and analytics are derived from primary and secondary research. Company profiles are primarily based on public domain information including company URLs.

The report profiles 26 companies including many key and niche players such as:

- AAC Technologies Holdings Inc.
- Artificial Muscle, Inc.
- CyberGlove Systems LLC
- Entact Robotics
- Ergos-Technologies

For more information please click on:
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/publication/mgrosw1/haptics_global_strategic

Title Index:

I. INTRODUCTION, METHODOLOGY & PRODUCT DEFINITIONS

Study Reliability and Reporting Limitations
Disclaimers
Data Interpretation & Reporting Level
Quantitative Techniques & Analytics
Product Definitions and Scope of Study

II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

A Quick Primer
Key Market Trends, Drivers & Issues
Proliferation of Mobile Internet Drives the Need for Haptic Feedback in Mobile Devices
Opportunity Indicator
Skyrocketing Mobile Video Usage Drives the Business Case for Haptics
Opportunity Indicator
Tactile Computing Revolution Opens a New Window of Opportunity for Haptics
Haptics Emerges As a Key Strategy for Product Differentiation
UltraHaptics to Bring In a New Era of Touchless Touch Screens
Demand for HD Haptics Grows in Parallel to the Need to Enhance User Experience
Wearable Haptics to Make the First Cut Impact on Healthcare
Opportunity Indicator
Possible OEM Adoption of Morphing Touch Screen Technology to Fuel Future Growth
Proliferation of Touchscreens, Touch Surfaces & Their Inherent UI Limitations Amplify Interest in Haptics
Opportunity Indicators
Adoption of Touch Screens in Public Shared Devices: An Attractive Opportunity for Growth
Haptic Technology Boosts Gaming Experience to a New Level
Rise in Mobile Gaming Opens a Lucrative Niche for Haptics in the Gaming Industry
Emerging Market Opportunities in Key Application Areas
Developments in Robotic Technology Powers Demand for Haptics
Opportunity Indicators
Increasing Activity in Nuclear Power Sector to Power Growth in the Haptics Market
Opportunity Indicator
Haptics in the Military & Defense Sector: A Review
Intelligent Automotive Technologies to Spur Demand for Haptics in the Automotive End-Use Sector
Robotic Surgery, Medical Prosthetics & Simulated Training Drive Adoption of Haptics in the Healthcare Sector
Strong Focus on Industrial Automation Drives Interest in Haptics
Development of New Generation Automated Aircrafts Drives Demand for Haptics in Commercial Flight Simulation Equipment
Haptics Set to Revolutionize Molecular Biology & Cellular Research
Market Outlook

2. TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW

Haptics: A Definition
Types of Haptic Feedback:
Tactile Feedback:
Force Feedback:
First Generation Haptics
Second Generation Haptics:
Third Generation Haptics:
Fourth Generation Haptics:
Advantages of Using Haptics
Reduction in Work Time:
Realistic Modeling of Virtual World:
Realism
Enhances Confidence and Effectiveness in Medicine:
Challenges in Haptics Usage
Energy Consumption Issues
Aesthetics and Design Constraints
Dimension Constraints
Design Complexity
Personnel Training
Cost
Implementation Issues
Notable Technology Developments:
Piezoelectric Actuators Emerge as the Preferred Choice
Reverse-Electrovibration Technology Creates Ripples
Surface Coverage Haptics: A New Technology in the Making
Redux's Bulldog: A Preview of What's to Come!
Haptics: Technology Enablers
Inertial Actuation:
Piezo Actuation:
Surface Actuation:
Lateral Actuation:
Electro-Active Polymer Actuation:
Bending Wave Actuation:
Capacitive Electrosensory Interface (CEI):

3. RECENT INDUSTRY ACTIVITY

Immersion Finalizes Licensing Agreement with Tokai Rika
University of Guelph and Hyphen Finalize Technology Sharing Agreement
Immersion Extends Haptic Technology to Sharp
Samsung Inks Licensing Agreement with Immersion
NTT DOCOMO'sTablet Implements HD Reverb Software of Immersion
Texas Instruments Collaborates with Immersion for Introducing Two Integrated Amplifiers
HiWave Enters into a Worldwide Distribution Agreement with RS Components
Geomagic Takes Over Sensable's Haptics and 3D Design Businesses
Immersion's Haptic Solution to Enhance the Design of Kia Sedan
Immersion Solution Provides Haptic-Enabled Interface for DOCOMO MEDIAS Smartphone andTablet
Immersion's Haptic Solution Delivers High-Definition Haptic Effects in Pantech ElementTablet
Immersion Announces Fujitsu Smartphone Featuring Haptic Technology
Synaptics to Design a Touchscreen Incorporating Tactile Feedback on Smartphone
AAC Acoustic Technologies Becomes AAC Technologies Holdings Inc
Immersion Partners Texas Instruments on New Hi-Fidelity Haptic Reference Design
Immersion Inks Licensing Agreement with BMS
Synaptics Enters into Collaboration with Google

4. PRODUCT/TECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS

Novasentis Unveils Clic® Family of Actuators for Localized Haptics
Fujitsu Launches PrototypeTablet with Haptic Feedback
Mide Technology Launches SHIVRT Range of Piezoelectric Haptic Actuators
Immersion Rolls Out Haptic Muse Application on Google Play
Bayer MaterialScience Announces ViviTouchT for Consumer Electronics
Immersion Integrates Haptic SDK with Three Game Development Platforms
Johnson Electric Expands the Haptic Actuator Range
Microsoft Envisions New 3D Touchscreen with Haptic Feedback
Texas Instruments Develops DRV2667
Texas Instruments Launches DRV2605
Texas Instruments Launches MSP430T Microcontrollers
Senseg Launches First Ever Feelscreen Product
HiWave Introduces FarinaT Platform
Harris Corporation Launches RedHawkT
Cypress Semiconductor Launches Programmable Radio-on-a-Chip- User Interface
Fujitsu Launches Raku-Raku Smart Phone
Immersion Rolls Out Updated Haptic Development Platform
Immersion Introduces HD Integrator with High Fidelity Haptic Capabilities
Samsung Rolls Out Samsung Galaxy with Auto Haptic Feature
Apple Introduces Layered Haptics System
Johnson Electric Introduces the New HA110 Haptic Actuator
Microchip Introduces New Controllers for Haptic Feedback
IDT Successfully Demonstrates First Ever Touch-Over-AUX Embedded DisplayPort 1.3 (eDPT)-based TCON
IDT Launches First Multi-Touch Single Layer Touch Screen Controller IC
Atmel Announces Integration of Haptics Technology to QTouch Capacitive Touch Controllers
KDDI Recreates Sensation of Buttons on Touchscreen Phone (Japan)
Inspired Launches Sophisticated Multi-Win-Roulette 4.0
Texas Instruments Launches DRV8662 Piezo Haptic Driver
Senseg Introduces Feel Screen Haptic Touchscreen Displays

5. FOCUS ON SELECT PLAYERS

AAC Technologies Holdings Inc. (China)
Artificial Muscle, Inc. (US)
CyberGlove Systems LLC (USA)
Entact Robotics (Canada)
Ergos-Technologies (France)
Force Dimension (Switzerland)
Geomagic Inc., (USA)
Haption SA (France)
Immersion Corporation (USA)
Moog Inc. (USA)
MPB Technologies Inc. (Canada)
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Japan)
Novint Technologies Inc. (USA)
Novasentis, Inc. (US)
Quanser Inc. (Canada)
Redux ST (UK)
Reachin Technologies AB (Sweden)
Senseg (Finland)
Tactus Technology, Inc. (USA)
Tangible Haptics, LLC (USA)
Tactical Haptics, LLC (US)

6. GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE

7. KEY MARKETS PERSPECTIVE

III. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Total Companies Profiled: 26 (including Divisions/Subsidiaries 26)
The United States (14)
Canada (3)
Japan (1)
Europe (7)
France (2)
The United Kingdom (1)
Rest of Europe (4)
Asia-Pacific (Excluding Japan) (1)

Pricing:

Electronic (Single User): EUR 3349
Electronic (1 - 5 Users): EUR 4688
Electronic (1 - 10 Users): EUR 6362
Electronic (1 - 15 Users): EUR 8037

Ordering - Three easy ways to place your order:

1] Order online: Please click here to order online from our website

2] Order by fax: Please click here to print an order form that you can fax to +353 1 4100 980

3] Order by mail: Please click here to print an order form that you can post to Research and Markets, Guinness Centre, Taylors Lane, Dublin 8, Ireland.

Thank you for your consideration.

Best Regards,

Amy Cole
Senior Manager
Research and Markets Ltd
amy.cole@researchandmarkets.com

Monday, May 19, 2014

AllCast now streams your media to any Android device

Yale researchers reconstruct facial images locked in a viewer’s mind

http://news.yale.edu/2014/03/25/yale-researchers-reconstruct-facial-images-locked-viewer-s-mind

This is a big deal!

Challenges and Solutions for Efficient CCTV in Road Transportation



Although IP CCTV video surveillance systems are now commonplace around the world, not all systems are created equal. Moxa's low cost, flexible, and efficient IP CCTV solutions are making an impact in Taichung, Taiwan. The video surveillance system encompasses every aspect of the bus line, including stations, buses, and control rooms.Read more.

ANTVR - China's Answer To Oculus Rift Is Raising Funds

ANTVR - China's Answer To Oculus Rift Is Raising Funds




Chinese technology startup ANTVR is raising funds on Kickstarter for a new, gaming oriented VR Headset capable of rivaling FaceBook's Oculus Rift VR Headset technologically speaking. The ANTVR headset features a full HD screen (1920 x 1080, 1 megapixel per eye), 100 degrees of FOV, 9-axis motion detect with low latency (1 ms), wireless communication, support for Playstation, Xbox, PC, Android gaming platforms, as well as an interesting 'virtual gun' type controller that can be folded open into a steering wheel or gamepad-type controller, and also holds batteries that can power the ANTVR for 3 — 8 hours. Interesting technical features include being able to detect whether the ANTVR wearer steps forward, backwards, to the left or to the right, and also whether the wearer crouches or jumps. The ANTVR headset also comes with a viewing window at the bottom of the unit that can be opened, so you can glance down and see your hands and keyboard and mouse for example. What makes ANTVR interesting is that it isn't a 'cheap Chinese knockoff of Oculus Rift'. A lot of original thought seems to have gone into making ANTVR a 'significantly different from a design standpoint' competitor to Oculus Rift. It now remains to be seen how much money ANTVR can raise on Kickstarter, and how many real world users/gamers opt for this new Chinese VR kit over the older — and currently — more famous Oculus Rift.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/805968217/antvr-kit-all-in-one-universal-virtual-reality-kit





The FCC Thinks We're All Idiots

The FFC just ended net neutrality.  What does this mean? If you host your own web site with content, no one will ever be able to see your stuff except at glacially slow speeds. Forget hosting video clips unless your a YouTube or Netflix that can pay the ransom the cable companies will now charge for high quality service.



http://act.watchdog.net/petitions/4655

Read the Full article at:  http://gizmodo.com/the-fcc-thinks-were-all-idiots-1577638316

One way to define a minimum level of access is as a requirement that broadband providers apply no less than a "best effort" standard to deliver traffic to end users. For any particular type of Internet traffic, best-effort delivery would represent the "typical" level of service for that type of traffic—in effect, routing traffic according to the "traditional" architecture of the Internet. Broadband providers would be free to negotiate "better than typical" delivery with edge providers, and would be prohibited (subject to reasonable network management) from delivering "worse than typical" service in the form of degradation or outright blocking.
That sure is a lot of words. But what do they actually mean?
The FCC is basically saying that, while it'll make sure that ISPs do their best to give everyone a fair shot, ISPs will still be able to choose to give some edge providers (i.e. YouTube, Amazon, Imgur, and pretty much every website and app ever) a shot that's still the best—just, you know, better. It's a prospect that not only flies in the face of a free internet, but also logic. You can't improve your "best efforts" for some without necessarily creating "worst efforts" for others.
It's basically an (admittedly convoluted) dictionary definition of everything that net neutralityisn't. As Turner told Gizmodo:
Best-efforts routing means first-in/first-out routing. If there is no congestion, there is no meaning to priority. But in order to create priority, by definition, the ISP's networks have to be constantly congested—or artificially made to seem that way by slowing down all non-prioritized traffic.

Glimpse of the future

Science Fiction author Jonathan Vos Post said on Facebook:
 "Back in 1964, 50 years ago this summer, my mother, father, sister and I drove from our home in suburban New Jersey to New York City, where we caught a glimpse of the future."


Saturday, May 17, 2014

Augmented Reality with an FPGA


bruceinabox

[Julie Wang] has created an augmented reality system on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)Augmented reality is nothing new – heck, these days even your tablet can do it. [Julie] has taken a slightly different approach though. She's not using a processor at all. Her entire system, from capture, to image processing, to VGA signal output, is all instantiated in a FPGA.
Using the system is as simple as holding up a green square of cardboard. Viewing the world through an old camcorder, [Julie's] project detects and tracks the green square. It then adds a 3D image of Cornell's McGraw Tower on top of the green. The tower moves with the cardboard, appearing to be there. [Julie] injected a bit of humor into the project through the option of substituting the tower for an image of her professor, [Bruce Land].
[Julie] started with an NTSC video signal. The video is captured by a DE2-115 board with an Altera Cyclone IV FPGA. Once the signal was inside the FPGA, [Julie's] code performs a median filter. A color detector finds an area of green pixels which are passed to a corner follower and corner median filter. The tower or Bruce images are loaded from ROM and overlaid on the video stream, which is then output via VGA.
The amazing part is that there is no microprocessor involved in any of the processing. Logic and state machines control the show. Great work [Julie], we hope [Bruce] gives you an A!

Friday, May 16, 2014

Phys.Org Mobile: Glasses-free 3-D projector (w/ Video)

http://m.phys.org/news/2014-05-glasses-free-d-projector-video.html

Minimalist Projection Mapping Proves Sometimes Keeping It Simple Is The Coolest | The Creators Project

http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/minimalist-projection-mapping-proves-sometimes-keeping-it-simple-is-the-coolest


Sent from my iPad

Fwd: cheap & hot cctv dvrs,ip cameras


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: startech.security

Hello Sir or Madam,
Thank you very much read this e-mail,here,we are sending our promotion for hot sale items to you reference,pls check it.
If you are interested in these products,pls don't hesitant to contact with us get more price list,thanks.
 
Ms Tang
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Room 1104, Sanhe Building , 
Dalang Sub-DistrictLonghua New  District,        
Shenzhen, 518000       
China    
Tel: +86-755-85299576 
E-mail:  startech.security@gmail.com

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Google Glass handed out to all medical students at UC Irvine - CNET

Netflix’s Many-Pronged Plan to Eliminate Video Playback Problems



Netflix's Many-Pronged Plan to Eliminate Video Playback Problems
Posted: 14 May 2014 07:46 AM PDT
For all of Netflix's complaints about Internet service providers harming video performance, one of the company's top technology experts is confident that the streaming company can solve most of its customers' problems.

David Fullagar, Netflix's director of content delivery architecture, spoke about the company's plans Monday at the Content Delivery Summit in New York. He described the hardware Netflix uses in its Open Connect content delivery network (CDN), noting that the company has a technological advantage over traditional CDNs because it's always delivering content to devices running Netflix's own software rather than using a hodgepodge of products built by other companies.

The best-known parts of Open Connect are probably the storage boxes that Internet service providers can take into their own networks to bring content closer to consumers. ISPs can also peer with Netflix, exchanging traffic directly without hosting Netflix equipment. But these aren't the only ways Netflix's Open Connect technology can deliver good quality.

Netflix used to use third-party CDNs such as Akamai, but it has moved most of its traffic over to Open Connect in the past couple of years. Outside the US, 100 percent of Netflix traffic is distributed using Open Connect equipment. The percentage is in the "high 90s" in the US, with plans to hit 100 percent this summer. Even if the storage boxes aren't inside an ISP's network, they're not too far away. They could even be in the same data centers, the Internet exchange points where Netflix transit providers connect to ISPs.

Fullagar was asked by an audience member how Netflix works with ISPs who offer competing products. "From a quality point of view we don't need to be that close to the end user for the sort of video we serve," Fullagar said. "Having extremely low latency is nice" because it allows videos to start playing faster. However, "what we're most interested in is a good, uncongested link, and that doesn't necessarily have to be very low latency."

Netflix's peering with ISPs has been controversial because some of the Internet providers have demanded payment in exchange for accepting Netflix traffic. Netflix gave in to Verizon and Comcast, agreeing to pay both companies, but it has claimed that the Federal Communications Commission should force the ISPs to provide free peering. Netflix has sent its traffic through congested links when its business disputes have gone unresolved, deteriorating quality despite the other steps Netflix takes to improve it. (Comcast and analyst Dan Rayburn accused Netflix of purposely sending traffic through congested links.)

When asked how much Netflix can affect streaming performance given that it controls the server end of the connection as well as the user's software, Fullagar said, "I think we're on the tip of the iceberg of being able to do quite a lot there." Netflix's access to information about each customer's device and Internet connection will fuel some as-yet-unrevealed strategies for improving quality, he said.

"We have extra information beyond just, hey this is someone wanting this file," he said. "At connection time we know the sort of client they are, whether it's a Wii or a PS4 or a streaming stick. We know the network they're on, we know a bunch of historical information about latency and quality of service we've had to those networks. We know whether they're connected on a device that's wired or wireless. There's a bunch of hints that we have there."

The company has started some "experiments that are working out really well, and in the future we'll talk more about that."

Netflix itself has equipment at about 20 Internet exchange points in North America and Europe and has "tens if not hundreds of embedded caches in ISP networks," Fullagar said.


The Network Team
Netflix's Open Connect division has about 40 people, Fullagar said. About 20 are software engineers who either build software for Netflix servers or work on the company's management software, which runs on Amazon's cloud network and performs functions such as load balancing. Another 10 Open Connect employees are network architects, and another 10 are in operations.

Netflix stores video on two types of boxes that it designed, one that's heavy on HDDs and another that's all SSDs. Netflix built them in part because it couldn't find the right mix of compute and storage capabilities in products from hardware vendors.

The HDD unit is a 4U-sized chassis that holds 216TB on 36 drives of 6TB each. It has 64GB RAM, a 10 Gigabit NIC, and some SSD for frequently accessed content.

The smaller, 1U, SSD-only unit contains 14 drives of a terabyte each, 256GB of RAM and a 40 Gigabit NIC. About 75 percent of the cost of both the HDD and SSD boxes is taken up by storage. Each unit uses Intel CPUs.

Netflix refreshes hardware annually to improve performance. At its biggest locations, Netflix keeps multiple copies of its entire video library in case of failure. That's more than a petabyte of video files for its North American catalog.

The company relies heavily on open source software, including FreeBSD and the Nginx Web server, as well as several management applications the company wrote itself.

Netflix distributes multiple terabits per second and accounts for an astonishing one-third of North American Internet traffic at peak times, i.e. the traditional TV "prime time" each evening. During off-peak hours in the middle of the night, Netflix fills disks with the videos its algorithms say people are most likely to watch the next day. This dramatically reduces network utilization during peak hours.

The management software Netflix runs on Amazon Web Services handles distribution of content, analyzes network performance, and connects users to the proper video sources. Netflix wrote its own adaptive bitrate algorithms to react to changes in throughput, and a CDN selection algorithm to adapt to changing network conditions such as overloaded links, overloaded servers, and errors, the company said.

When Netflix used multiple third-party CDNs, connections would fail over from one to another in case of error. Netflix still uses the same failover technology, but with "multiple hierarchies" within Open Connect instead of multiple CDNs, Fullagar said.

Although Netflix is moving all its data onto Open Connect hardware, that doesn't automatically reduce the controversial role its transit providers Level 3 and Cogent have played in carrying traffic. Level 3 and Cogent have warred with ISPs over whether they should have to pay in order to send Netflix traffic onto their networks. As a result, interconnections between these transit providers and ISPs have gotten congested, reducing the quality of Netflix and other Web services that travel over the links.

The role of transit providers is only reduced when Netflix signs direct interconnection agreements with ISPs, as it has done Verizon and Comcast, a Netflix spokesperson said. In the absence of such agreements, Netflix data passes through the company's own CDN and then through a transit provider before hitting an ISP's network.

The payment controversies don't necessarily affect the working relationship between the technical teams of Netflix and ISPs, though. "Engineering people at companies, whether large or small, operate independently of commercial interests," Fullagar said. "In the UK, one of our biggest competitors is one of our best networking partners."

Source: Ars Technica


Thursday, May 08, 2014

US Patent Office Grants 'Photography Against A White Background' Patent To Amazon | Techdirt

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140507/04102327144/us-patent-office-grants-photography-against-white-background-patent-to-amazon.shtml

USPTO Approves Amazon Patent For Taking Pictures

http://www.slashdot.org/story/201785

Epson Releases Moverio BT-200 AR Smart Glasses Commercially | Augmented Reality Trends

http://www.augmentedrealitytrends.com/augmented-reality/moverio-bt-200.html

Fwd: text to 3D video


---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: xyzzy 
Date: Thursday, May 8, 2014
Subject: text to 3D video

http://www.tt3d.tv/

URBANSCREEN | Projection Mapping The Interior Of A Massive Gas tank



 What do you do with an empty, 112-meter high,  gas storage tank?

http://www.urbanscreen.com/

http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/urbanscreen-projection-mapping-the-interior-of-a-massive-gas-tank

URBANSCREEN is based in Bremen, Germany. Established in 2005, their team currently consists of eight contributors, artists brought together from different disciplines representing architecture, music, stage design and media-art.
Large-scale projection on urban surfaces is their creative company's field of activity. They conceive and produce custom-made, site-specific media installations using high artistic standards and an interdisciplinary approach to stylistic devices. The main focus of their approach is to take up existent or inherent structures of architecture, its thematic context and surroundings. Through an architectural staging, they examine the intersection of a site’s concept of space, location, and appearance. Tailored site-specific projection procedures enable them to interlink various media – such as computer-generated imagery, artificial illumination and dance performance – in order to characterize architecture and the versatile levels of it that can be experienced vis-à-vis a building itself.


Saturday, May 03, 2014

MTV, what happened?

Holographic video coming soon

Great article

http://www.bbc.com/future/sponsored/story/20131218-what-it-takes

What it takes to

Make the world your office


It could be as simple as negotiating an elaborate deal with a businessman — even when you are sitting in an office on the other side of the world. Or it could be as complex as a hospital’s chief cardiologist making final checks before surgery — for a patient lying in an isolated village 500 miles away. Or it could be as personal as making sure you see your children when they get home from school — even though you are in a different time zone.
In the next few years, a technological leap in video communication is about to change the way we interact, work and live our lives.
Software such as Skype – which boasted 299 million users in June 2013 — and Apple’s FaceTime have already transformed personal relationships, meaning that families and friends can stay in touch from anywhere in the world.
But now teleconferencing — and its modern appellation, telepresence — is beginning to change our professional lives, too.
Working remotely
The last few years have already seen a sharp rise in “remote working” — employees working from home. According to a 2012 Ipsos/Reuterspoll, around one in five people in the world frequently “telecommute” to work, and nearly 10% work remotely from home every day.
Meanwhile, companies expanding around the globe face pressure from shareholders and regulators to minimise staff travel between offices for meetings, enabling more energy-efficient choices and reducing expenses. 
A proliferation of better-quality, cost-effective technology addresses this need. The TP3200 video conferencing system for example, was recently launched by communications technology provider Huawei Enterprise. It is designed especially for group meetings and uses a specialised image-processing device — a so-called co-optical centre camera — to provide the world’s first panoramic telepresence system.
“HD (high-definition)-resolution cameras and reliable broadband connectivity have vastly improved the teleconferencing experience,” says Jack He Liang, video conferencing director at the firm. “More people, and more employers, are beginning to see the benefits of video communication.
“Not only can it reduce costs, improve efficiency and save on human resources, but video conferencing also makes it easier to convey your idea. When you can communicate with your eyes and face, both sides [of the meeting] feel more confident.”
Teleconferencing no longer requires participants to submit to a fixed system of technical standards. Instead, many systems now utilise what is called BYOD.
“It’s short for ‘Bring Your Own Device,’” says He Liang. “The system recognises that many workers already own tablets, smartphones and laptops with cameras — and integrates them.”
The result is a step change in how we see, and carry out, our jobs.
So it is little surprise that global businesses are expected to spend $3.75bn (£2.3bn) on videoconferencing technology by 2016. Smart 2020, a study commissioned by the Global e-Sustainability Initiative, (a programme launched in 2001 to promote sustainable development in the ICT sector), found that US and UK businesses can save almost $19bn (£11.7bn) as a result of deploying 10,000 telepresence units by 2020.
By cancelling the need for long- and short-haul executive flights between offices, the same study suggested that teleconferencing technology and other virtual tools could reduce global annual greenhouse gas emissions by 15% by the year 2020.
But that is just the start. The next generation of video telepresence systems aims to fit even more seamlessly into our lives — by adding realistic 3D capabilities.
The third dimension
The technology, known as holographic telepresence, is more Star Trek than staff meeting. Instead of a flat screen, a three-dimensional moving image of a user is reproduced at each meeting location.
Currently the effect is not a true hologram. The technology companyMusion, based in the UK, adapts an illusion commonly used in theatres and theme parks known as the Pepper's ghost effect. An HD projector illuminates a thin, effectively invisible, sheet-like “foil” from a 45-degree angle, creating a 3D image almost indistinguishable from an actual person. The Musion TelePresence system can now transmit full-sized people and objects in real-time “without any significant delay in communication”, the company says.
The system achieved a Guinness World Record in 2012 by helping Indian politician Narendra Modi deliver a 55-minute campaignspeech to audiences in 53 different locations simultaneously. And in the entertainment world, Musion was one of three companies credited for digitally resurrecting rapper Tupac Shakur onstage at the 2012 Coachella festival.
But true holograms might not be far away. Leia Display System is currently working on an alternative technology. The Polish company has built a holographic room, measuring 3m (10ft) by 2.5m (8ft), which uses laser projectors to beam 3D images onto a thin cloud of water vapour — providing not only a giant 3D multi-touch screen, but also the ability to walk through the images and see them from any point of view.
Holographic telepresence like this has obvious potential beyond from the business world. Healthcare is already being revolutionised by telemedicine, allowing patients to be treated remotely, whether in isolated areas or on a distant battlefield.
Hologram technology could also see advances in areas like education, enhanced movies, television programming, advertising, gaming, 3D mapping, aerospace navigation and robot control.
Still other improvements could be imminent. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US is examining how physical surfaces can be manipulated by gestures, with objects being resized, reshaped or moved remotely by people thousands of miles away. This offers the potential for virtual offices, where hundreds or even thousands of people could collaborate on a product without ever touching it.
Researchers at the University of Tokyo are also working on adding haptic feedback (vibrations, for example) to holographic projections by using ultrasound waves. A user can touch and interact with a hologram and receive tactile responses as if the holographic object were real.
In an IBM survey of 3,000 researchers, respondents namedholographic video calls as one of the five technologies they expect to see in place by 2015.
There are obstacles to using these technologies, of course. Not least is the cost of holographic technology: Musion currently rents its system for around $65,000 (£40,000). Live telepresence also needs a fast, direct connection of 10-20 megabytes per second (Mbps), as the recordings are of higher quality.
“But thanks to 4G and LTE networks — and 5G coming soon — bandwidth is no longer a problem,” says Huawei Enterprise’s He Liang.
“[Telepresence] will mean that we don’t have to work in an office,” he explains. “That we don’t have to travel miles to be treated by a doctor. That we can interact with our families from a different country. It will begin to change the world we live in.”
Huawei released the industry's first panoramic telepresence system(TPS). This TPS adopts Huawei's patented co-optical center camera with panoramic gapless imaging and image stitching technologies, giving users a truly immersive experience.
Huawei's panoramic TPS provides open interfaces to interconnect with the systems of other vendors, thereby protecting the customer's investment.
Huawei's panoramic telepresence system is able to save up to 30% TCO for the customer because it requires 25% less bandwidth, 42% less energy, and 26% less physical space.