Cell phones with build in cameras are replacing cheap pocket size digital cameras and video cameras. Best cell phone cameras can be better in many ways than cheap pocket digital cameras from few years back. And most people do not want to carry separate devices for each function (at least without a very good reason), when a smart phone can handle calls, Internet, photos and video shooting.
CES 2013 fair had more pocket advanced size cameras on display than DSLRs, but the trend on then was that business was going down due cellular phone cameras getting better. So camera manufacturers are integrating more cellular phone like features to their cameras (like Android OS with wireless connectivity to photo sharing sites) and concentrate on building good superzoom and DSLR type cameras. You need to have something clearly different than what cell phone can offer: huge zoom, good performance in low light or works also in harsh environment. Wireless connection is getting more and more common, either built-in or using memory card with WiFi.
As Sales Slip, TV Makers Strain for the Next Sensation because hardware companies want to make their products stand out in a sea of black rectangles that can show the content user want to watch. And one that is particularly acute for television makers. The hardware is becoming kind of boring and exciting things are happening in software. TV manufacturers continue to push the idea of “smart” sets by adding apps and other interactive elements.
Connected TV technologies get more widely used and the content earlier viewable only on TV can be now seen on many other screens. Your smartphone is the screen in your pocket. Your computer is the screen on your desk. Your tablet is a screen for the couch. Almost every major electronic device you own is a black rectangle that is brought to life by software and content.
In the last two years, television makers have tried a push with 3-D sets. But now It’s official: 3D is dead. The tech industry’s annual hot air balloon show is gone. On the one hand, 3D has become ubiquitous enough in televisions that people are unwittingly buying it when opting for a high-end new HDTV to fill their living room.
Post HDTV resolution era seems to be coming to TVs as well in form of 4K / UltraHD. This year, television makers like Samsung, Sony, LG and Panasonic are trying to grab attention by supersizing their television screens and quadrupling the level of detail in their images. They are promoting what they call Ultra High-Definition televisions, which have four times as many pixels as their high-definition predecessors, and can cost as much as a car. It’s a bit of a marketing push. It seems that all LCD makers are looking to move their business models on from cheap mass production to higher-margin, premium offerings. They try to innovate and secure their future viability by selling fewer, but more profitable displays.
4K at CES 2013: the dream gets real article tells that the 4K bandwagon is fully loaded and ready to get rolling. The US TV maker isn’t alone in stepping up to the higher resolution in its new flagship models. Sony, Panasonic and Sharp, Japan’s traditional big-screen TV leaders, are all attending this year’s CES with proper retail products. Manufacturers Need You to Buy an Ultra-High-Def 4K TV. Save Your Money because just as HDTV was slow to take off, the 4K start will be slow. It’s more than the price that’s keeping these things from hitting critical mass. 4K is only for ultra-premium markets this year.
4K resolution TV has one big problem: The entire ecosystem isn’t ready for 4K. The Trouble With 4K TV article tellst that though 4K resolutions represent the next step in high-definition video, standards for the format have yet to emerge and no one’s really figured out how to distribute video, with its massive file footprint, efficiently and cost effectively. Getting 4K content to consumers is hard.
Even though 4K resolution is widely use in digital cinematography, but there is no suitable consumer disk format that supports it and the bandwidth need to stream 4K content would be huge. Given that uncompressed 4K footage has a bit-rate of about 600MB/s. Broadcom chip ushers in H.265 and UltraHD video tells that H.265 video standard, aka HEVC or MPEG-5, squeezes more pixels over a network connection to support new high-resolution 4K TVs.
You should also note that the new higher resolution is pretty pointless for a small TV (where the TV mass market is now). Ultra HD would make a difference only on screens that were at least 80 inches, measured diagonally. For smaller screens, the extra pixels would not be visible to a person with 20/20 vision viewing from a normal viewing distance. Ultra HD TVs can also be a flop. But let’s see what happens in the world where nowadays tiny smart phone screens can have full HDTV resolution.
Keep in mind that 4K is not any absolute highest resolution expected in few years. 8k resolution TVs are coming. Sharp showed a 8K resolution TV with 7680 x 4320 resolution at CES2013. For more details on it read Sharp 8K Super Hi-Vision LCD, 4K TV and Freestyle wireless LCD HDTV hands-on article.
Another development than pushing up the resolution to make high end display products is OLED technology. OLED is another new technology to make expensive products. The much buzzed-about device features next-generation, high-quality OLED screens. OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode, and they offer a bevy of benefits: more energy efficient, cleaner image, wide viewing angle and devices can be made thinner. You can also make TV screen curved in shape. In a race between television titans, LG has beat Samsung in becoming the first manufacturer to introduce a 55-inch OLED television to market: the largest OLED TV panel to date.. OLED products are very expensive (LG TV $10,300 in US dollars). OLED display can also have 4K resolution, so you can combine two expensive technologies to one product. Market analysts say that they believe the technology will not become more affordable until 2015.
The Verge Awards: the best of CES 2013 article lists for example product like Samsung 4K “easel TV”, Sony 4K OLED TV, Teenage Engineering OD-11 Cloud Speaker and Oculus Rift virtual reality gaming.
All your audio, video kit is about to become OBSOLETE article tells that although much of the audio and video technology packed into CES 2013′s 1.9 million square feet of exhibition space is indeed impressive, one panelist at an emerging-technology conference session channeled a little 1974 BTO, essentially telling his audience that “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” Deep-geek soothsayer predicts smart audio, Ultra HD eyewear, much more in coming years. Audio is going to become adaptive, changing its wave forms to fit each user’s personal aural perceptions. Active noise reduction is finding its way into cars. HD audio will be coming to mobile phones. MEMS-based microphones and speakers are also on the runway. Consumer-level video will see in the future much higher resolution devices with much higher frame rates.
903 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nielsen and Twitter Unveil Social TV Metrics, Showing How Little Tweets Line Up with Ratings
http://variety.com/2013/digital/news/nielsen-and-twitter-unveil-social-tv-metrics-showing-how-little-tweets-line-up-with-ratings-1200702169/
Nielsen and Twitter have released their first rankings of TV shows, designed to show the reach of TV-related conversation on Twitter.
And one thing is immediately clear: There is practically no overlap between the most-tweeted shows on TV and the highest-rated shows.
To be clear, the Nielsen Twitter TV Ratings are not intended to demonstrate that a highly tweeted show means it will be correspondingly a highly viewed program. Rather, the metric is designed to show the total Twitter activity relating to specific shows, to help networks and advertisers figure out how to better use the social service to drive awareness and tune-in.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Don’t say the B word: DVRs, VOD, ratings and the binge viewing threat
http://gigaom.com/2013/10/07/dont-say-the-b-word-dvrs-vod-ratings-and-the-binge-viewing-threat/
People are watching TV show episodes later and later. Is the sheer number of good shows on TV these days to blame, or do we want to binge on everything?
New York Times writer Brian Stelter penned an interesting piece this weekend about the growing delay between the time an episode of a TV show is broadcast and the time people actually get around to watching it. The story focused on DVR recordings versus cable VOD, but one thing struck me as odd: No one — not the network executives quoted nor Stelter himself — mentioned binge viewing. Not even once.
“What is notable about the start of the new fall TV season, according to network executives, is a surge in not just delayed viewing, but very-delayed viewing.”
That’s bad news for TV networks. Advertisers generally only pay for views that happen within the first three days. Which means that anyone in the business needs to pay attention to these trends. That’s why I found it particularly odd that no one really seemed to have a good explanation for the growing gap.
It’s true, we live in a golden age of television, and there’s more than enough to watch on the airwaves. But is that really all there is? Or are people possibly starting to embrace a different style of viewing — one that they may have learned from Netflix and now expect for their broadcast and cable fare as well?
The good news for the TV industry is that it is starting to prepare itself for this binge-on-everything future. Companies are experimenting with dynamic ad insertions for cable VOD and TV Everywhere offerings, allowing them to monetize views days or possibly even weeks after shows originally air.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft updates YouTube app for Windows Phone, apparently surrenders to Google as web player returns
http://www.wpcentral.com/microsoft-updates-youtube-app-surrenders-to-google
Windows Phone users have returned to square one with the ‘updated’ YouTube app today
A few months ago, Microsoft and Google had a brouhaha over YouTube and Windows Phone. Microsoft appeared to play by Google’s rules in making an app for their customers, but Google said it wasn’t good enough. Despite the differences, Microsoft famously released the app anyway to see what would happen. As it turns out, Google was none too happy and remotely killed the app through its access key.
if you click a YouTube link in email, MMS messages, etc. it will open YouTube in the browser. In fact, tapping the installed YouTube icon on your phone will simply redirect you to m.youtube.com for that not so premier experience.
No more downloads, no more account management (without logging in), no notifications—just the barebones experience.
From the looks of it, any discussions between Microsoft and Google may have broken down. As a result, we’re getting the most generic YouTube experience you can imagine on a mobile platform: a web player. If Microsoft is working on an official app, it may have to be in that HTML5 form that Google so desperately wants for Windows Phone (but not for iOS or Android).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Judge Allows Broadcasters to Examine Aereo’s Patents
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/judge-allows-broadcasters-examine-aereos-644379
The plaintiffs suing for copyright infringement want to find out why Aereo’s patent applications state there is no simple way to access TV programming on digital devices.
The Monday ruling comes as the parties continue the discovery process on the path to a trial expected next year. The broadcasters allege that Aereo is infringing their public performance rights by distributing TV programming to subscribers’ digital devices. Aereo was successful in beating back a requested preliminary injunction, but the broadcasters believe they will be able to demonstrate copyright infringement if the case goes before a jury.
The broadcasters are looking to poke holes in Aereo’s credibility and also to demonstrate the irreparable harm that a digital TV streamer represents to them.
In opposing a preliminary injunction, Aereo offered up experts who stated that its internet retransmission capability was not substantially different from what consumers could accomplish with off-the-shelf components. In Judge Alison Nathan’s opinion denying a preliminary injunction, she wrote that the harm of Aereo’s system for broadcasters wasn’t imminent “given that other products are already available that can provide broadcast content to mobile devices contemporaneous with its initial broadcast.”
The judge writes, “In their patent application, however, in an apparent effort to establish novelty, the inventors state that broadcast ‘content is generally only available for display on a traditional television. There is generally no simple way for a user to have this content available to their other video-capable devices.’ Although the two positions are not irreconcilable, there is a certain tension between them sufficient to warrant examination.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
LG, Philips Put Magine’s Cloud Service in European Smart TVs
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-06/lg-panasonic-put-magine-cloud-service-in-smart-tvs-for-europe.html
Couch potatoes too lazy to deal with set-top boxes or even plugging in their laptops to channel surf on-demand services will have a new option next year: cloud TV, directly on their sets.
Magine AB’s cloud service lets users with an Internet link scan its TV schedules, surf channels, rewind shows and access archived content dating back 30 days via a tablet, phone or computer — and from early next year, their TVs. LG Electronics Inc. (066570) and Panasonic Corp. (PCRFY) sets, as well as those made by Royal Philips NV’s venture with TPV Technology Ltd. (903), will come with the Swedish company’s software where Magine operates in Europe.
“We see already that people are using this on the subway, at work and home, and we are seeing an increase in TV watching in general with it,” Mattias Hjelmstedt, chief executive officer at Stockholm-based Magine, said in a phone interview. The company will show off the system this week at the Mipcom TV market in Cannes, France.
Magine started its service in Sweden in March and forecasts it will have 1 million users by early next year. Cloud-based TV services facilitate so-called cord cutting, allowing TV viewers to watch any program at any time from any device and eliminating reliance on a TV set-top box, cables or a satellite dish.
“These services are about mobile, tablet and PC viewing and can be a nice proposition for people who aren’t going to pay 50 pounds ($80) a month for premium channels,” said Paul Jackson, a media and technology analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media in London.
TV channels, telecommunications carriers and Internet companies like Google Inc.’s YouTube are all looking to tend to consumers demanding more flexible TV viewing, with services from video-streaming on tablets and smartphones, to video-on-demand for catching up on previously aired content.
New TV viewing habits are also sending overflow onto the Internet via social-media platforms like Twitter Inc. and Facebook Inc. (FB), as audiences connect to discuss what they’re watching as they watch it.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Active noise cancellation: Trends, concepts, and technical challenges
http://www.edn.com/design/consumer/4422370/Active-noise-cancellation–Trends–concepts–and-technical-challenges
Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) headsets are an attractive proposition to consumers, since they offer a superior listening experience in conditions that are normally hostile to audio reproduction, such as trains, airplanes and busy urban areas. In fact, while the idea of silencing ambient noise is a simple one, its practical implementation is complex.
Nowadays the trend for music headsets goes to big over-the-ear headsets, whereas five years ago in-ear systems were the most popular. Consumer preferences have obviously changed in the last couple of years and besides the original use case (listening to music), headsets have turned into a fashion statement.
Developing an ANC headset requires considerable know-how, especially if you want to combine a piece of art with modern ANC technology. No matter in what kind of headset ANC is implemented (in-ear, on-ear or over-the-ear headsets) there are basically three different concepts to tackle the ambient noise.
ANC Concepts The most common is the feed-forward topology (see Figure 1), in which a micro-phone exposed to the exterior senses ambient noise, and the ANC circuit generates an anti-noise signal that the speakers reproduce (together with the user’s audio playback signal).
The feed-forward topology is typically used in communication headsets like Blue-tooth headsets because of its wide ANC bandwidth. Such systems can cancel noise up to 3kHz with properly designed acoustics.
Another interesting mode that is commonly used in ANC headsets is the monitor mode. In this mode the ANC microphone is in turn being used to actively amplify the ambient noise. In this special mode the gain and phase compensation filter G(w) is bypassed and the microphone is connected directly to the speaker amplifier. This helps to overcome the passive attenuation of a headset when having a conversation with your neighbor or flight attended in a plane without removing the headset.
Typically this mode can be activated by pressing a push button on the headset. A disadvantage that comes with feed-forward systems is that they are susceptible to wind noise if the electronics and the acoustics are not properly designed.
A solution to overcome the wind noise issue is a different ANC topology. The second topology in the ANC industry is the feedback topology. This topology makes use of the same hardware blocks like we have it in feed-forward applications. The only difference is the location of the microphones, which are inside the ear capsule. This makes the headset insusceptible to wind noise.
Another advantage that comes with feedback systems is the automatic compensation of little leakages.
A major difference between the two ANC topologies is the noise reduction characteristics. Feedback systems usually have better low frequency performance (30dB) and wid-est bandwidth. One system compensates for the lacks of the other system and vice versa. These systems typically show superior ANC performance from 20Hz up to 3kHz, which is not possible with a standalone feed-forward or feedback system.
Therefore it is now a surprise that the trend for new high-end ANC headsets goes definitely toward “Hybrid”.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Eidos: Audio/Visual Sensory Augmentation
http://hackaday.com/2013/10/10/eidos-audiovisual-sensory-augmentation/
One of our tipsters led us onto a very cool project by a British university team — It’s called Eidos, and it’s a real-time audio and visual augmentation system.
The creators embarked on this design journey after wondering if there was a way they could control and tune their senses. Imagine Superman and his ability to pick out one voice out of thousand — with this technology, it could be possible.
The clunky white goggles shown in the image above is the concept behind the visual augmentation. It’s akin to long-exposure photography, except that it is in real-time and is fluid video.
The second device can target your hearing to a specific person in a noisy environment, zoning out all the unnecessary distractions.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Twitter Gets Its Strongest TV Tie-Up So Far, With an Ambitious Comcast Deal
http://allthingsd.com/20131009/twitter-gets-its-strongest-tv-tie-up-so-far-with-an-ambitious-comcast-deal/
Twitter has been trying to buddy up with the TV industry for the past few years. Now it has its biggest payoff yet: A far-reaching deal with Comcast that aims to turn the social network into a TV-watching service.
The gist: Later this fall, Twitter users will start to see a “See It” button on messages about some of Comcast-owned NBCUniversal’s shows, like “The Voice.” Clicking on those Tweets will open up a Twitter “card” with more information about the shows, and Twitter users who are also Comcast pay-TV subscribers will be able to record or watch the show directly from their computer or mobile device.
Even shorter gist: Twitter, which has been telling the TV business that it can deliver eyeballs to their programming, will now have a chance to prove it, by literally connecting its users with TV shows.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Digital-input audio amplifiers reduce BOM cost
http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4422216/Digital-input-audio-amplifiers-reduce-BOM-cost
A family of four Class D amplifiers for mid-power stereo audio designs, the TAS5760xx series from Texas Instruments offers a switching frequency of up to 1.2 MHz, reducing EMI and allowing the use of smaller output filters to lower BOM cost and reduce overall design size.
The amplifiers accept a single stereo I2S input and stream 20 W of continuous power per channel without a heat sink.
Engineers can use the TAS5760xx amplifiers in TVs, sound bars, portable docking stations, Bluetooth speakers, and aftermarket automotive audio products.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Third of millennials watch mostly online video or no broadcast TV
http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/225528/third-of-millennials-watch-no-broadcast-tv/
Thirty-four percent of millennials surveyed watch mostly online video or no broadcast television, new research from The New York Times says.
The study surveyed more than 4,000 online video users. Among other findings: News sites were more popular than sports for online-video watchers, but they were far less popular than video hosting sites like YouTube.
When it came to a choice between reading the news or watching a news video, 50 percent said they’d choose the latter if they wanted to be entertained.
And 59 percent said they’ll likely watch pre-roll ads if they know they won’t have to wait long for their content.
The study found that people with higher incomes and educational levels were more likely to watch news videos.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Report: Google TV getting rebranded as “Android TV” for next-generation of devices
A new report claims that Google’s next generation of Google TV products are being rebranded to “Android TV” to better communicate the company’s vision of bringing the full Android experience into the living room. GigaOM reports that OEMs producing new Google TV products have informed them that Google is officially changing the branding to Android TV for the next round of products hitting the market. While the company has not yet made the branding change official, it has already started using “Android TV” in some instances, while partners are not including “GoogleTV” branding on recently announced products
Back in July when Google officially unveiled its new $35 HDMI streaming device called Chromecast, the company’s Android & Chrome chief Sundar Pichai made things clear that Google TV wasn’t going anywhere.
The report adds that an official update to Android 4.2 for Google TV devices currently on the market could arrive as soon as this month
Tomi Engdahl says:
Panasonic Kisses Plasma Goodbye
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1319759&
Call it the end of an era. Panasonic will stop producing plasma TV panels by March 2014.
Ditching the unprofitable business had been high on Panasonic President Kazuhiro Tsuga’s to-do list since he took office last year, but the exit will be made a year sooner than had been predicted.
In recent years, the weakening TV business has stalked Japan’s many ailing consumer electronics companies, including Panasonic. Its TV division has contributed to the company’s $15 billion of net losses over the past two fiscal years. Last year, that division posted an operating loss of 88.5 billion yen ($913 million).
Japanese manufacturers were ground breakers in the development of plasma TV. But with the handwriting on the wall, Hitachi left the plasma panel business in fiscal 2008. Pioneer called it quits a year later, leaving Panasonic as the last company to abandon plasma screens.
Tsuga earned his reputation by becoming the first Panasonic executive to question openly if plasma screens were visibly better than LCD panels.
“My wife and I watched them every day. My wife, who was probably rooting for Panasonic, said that plasma TV might be a little better. But I didn’t see a discernible difference.”
Panasonic has halted development of new plasma TVs. It will continue selling them — reportedly until next fiscal year, when inventory is expected to run out.
Tsuga has been outspoken about shutting down any division that fails to meet a 5 percent operating margin within three years
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart Video Outpacing Population
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1319749&
Smart video devices — smartphones, smart TVs, tablets, games consoles, and other Internet-connected devices — will exceed the global population by 2017, according to El Segundo, Calif. based IHS Inc. Just three years from now, by 2016, the number of Internet-connected smart video devices will be on par with the total world population, about 7 billion, and four years from now, by 2017, that number will top 8 billion when the world population is predicted to be just 7.4 billion.
Not that everybody will be connected to the Internet by then, but on average, there will be one Internet-connected smart video device per capita. In fact, most of these devices will be in developed countries, according to IHS, where video-over-Internet-Protocol (video-over-IP) will be driving the market. Besides smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and games consoles, there will also be connected set-top boxes, Blu-ray players, and personal computers (PCs) — albeit only 23 percent will be PCs, a far cry from the 93 percent share of video-over-IP attributable to PCs in their hay-day circa 2005.
Today, there are about 4.3 billion Internet-connected smart video devices, according to IHS, but that will grow by 90 percent in just four years, when an average of 1.1 smart video devices will be connected per capita
IHS predicts that the average home will have just over three TV sets connected by broadband, each surrounded by just over three Internet-connected devices for an average of 10 smart video devices per household.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Netflix Pursues Cable-TV Deals
http://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/13/10/14/0215256/netflix-pursues-cable-tv-deals
“Netflix is making a push to make its online video service available as an app on set-top boxes. ‘A deal would mark the online video service’s first such tie-up with a U.S. cable provider and would come after a similar agreement it recently announced with U.K. cable operator Virgin Media Inc.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google to sunset Google TV brand as its smart TV platform merges with Android
http://gigaom.com/2013/10/10/google-tv-rebranded-android-tv/
Summary:
Google is getting ready to say good-bye to Google TV: The company is getting rid of the branding, but will continue to make Android available to TV manufacturers.
Google TV is dead, long live Android TV: Three years after launching the first generation of Google TV devices, Google is now looking to rid itself of the brand and realign its smart TV platform efforts more closely with Android. The move is part admission that Google TV failed, part hope that Android will eventually find its place in the living room.
Google apparently isn’t quite ready to announce the switch-over yet; a spokesperson contacted for this story declined to comment. However, an executive from a consumer electronics manufacturer that has been producing Google TV devices confirmed the rebranding in a recent conversation with GigaOM, saying: “They are calling it ‘Android TV.’”
Google’s partners, developers have stopped using the name
The use of both “Android TV” and “Google services for TV” suggests that Google may not have finalized the new branding for its TV efforts yet, or that it may use a variety of brands depending on the target audience. It’s unclear when the company is officially going to announce the switch.
TV devices will run the latest version of Android, offer more options
Google recently announced the latest version of Android, code-named KitKat, which could be available as early as next week. The company said earlier this year that consumer electronics manufacturers will be able to more easily upgrade their TV hardware to the most recent version of Android after the switch to 4.2, and one should assume that manufacturers will have access to KitKat as soon as it is released for mobile devices.
Google TV’s long and painful struggle
Google had big ambitions for the living room when it first unveiled Google TV back in 2010, but the first generation of Google TV devices was widely rebuffed by both consumers and content providers. TV viewers didn’t like the complicated set-up and unwieldy keyboards of Google TV devices. Broadcasters didn’t appreciate the idea of consumers being able to watch free web content on their TV sets and started to block Google TV from accessing their websites.
Google already has a winner: Chromecast
So why did Google finally decide to rid itself of the brand? The upgrade to the latest version of Android seems to be the main factor, but chances are that the surprising success of Chromecast made the decision even easier. Google hasn’t said yet how many Chromecast devices it has sold since first introducing the product in July, but anecdotal evidence suggests that sales are going very well: Not only was Chromecast sold out for weeks, it’s currently the number one selling electronics device on Amazon , outselling even Amazon’s new Kindle models, as well as its direct competitors from Apple and Roku
But Chromecast isn’t just more successful than Google TV. In many ways, it encapsulates everything Google learned from Google TV’s failures. Consumers and critics mocked the unwieldy remote controls of early Google TV models; Chromecast doesn’t come with a remote at all. Google TV’s early UI seemed too complicated when compared to its competition; Chromecast doesn’t have any UI that has to be navigated on the TV screen. Google TV tried to compete with too many platforms; Chromecast ties in closely with both Android and iOS.
Google has already said that it wants to make the core casting capabilities of Chromecast available to other consumer electronics manufacturers, but it hasn’t said yet when or how this is going to happen.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Research Shows that Online Camera Gear Reviews May Be Distorted by Fanboys
http://petapixel.com/2013/07/16/research-shows-that-online-camera-gear-reviews-may-be-distorted-by-fanboys/
Can you trust camera reviews submitted by customers of online retailers? Not entirely, suggests a new academic study, and not for the reasons you might think.
“Deceptive Reviews: The Influential Tail,” by Duncan Simester of MIT and Eric Anderson of Northwestern University, finds that 5 percent of the reviews on popular retail sites were submitted by customers who never purchased the item. Those reviews tend to be more negative than legitimate ones. And they’re more influential, as potential buyers react more strongly to negative reports than positive ones.
Yet there’s no evidence such fake reviews are part of any systemic effort to boost sales for rival brands or other forms of shilling, the authors find. Instead, they’re posted by frequent reviewers acting on their own and motivated by several forces.
Some are “self-appointed brand managers” — in other words, fanboys — reacting to new items they deem unworthy of the brand or retailer. Others are motivated by the social status rewards (“elite” status, shiny icons by your name, etc.) that come with posting lots of reviews.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sony Strikes Production Deal With Netflix
Streaming-Video Service Is Becoming a Launch Pad for Original Series
http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/SB10001424052702304561004579135712048720976-lMyQjAxMTAzMDEwMzExNDMyWj
Sony Pictures Television will become the first big Hollywood studio to produce a new TV show for Netflix Inc., underscoring how the TV industry’s elite are starting to view the streaming-video service as a launch pad for original series.
Sony Corp.’s TV studio, maker of hit shows such as AMC’s “Breaking Bad” and this year’s new NBC drama “The Blacklist,” said Monday it will begin production early next year on a psychological thriller for Netflix from the creators of the FX legal drama “Damages.”
Netflix already has earned respect in Hollywood for some of its shows, including the Emmy-winning political drama “House of Cards” and prison comedy “Orange is the New Black.” Neither was produced by a major studio, however. House of Cards was produced by Media Rights Capital, an independent firm, while “Orange is the New Black” was produced by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Build a DIY Plate Reverb
http://hackaday.com/2013/10/14/build-a-diy-plate-reverb/
[Telegraphy] needed a reverb for his recording studio. There are hundreds of computer-based and standalone digital reverb systems out there, but he decided to build his own plate reverb.
A plate reverb uses a plate of sheet metal to generate the reverb.
[Telegraphy's] plate reverb was built almost entirely from found, Radio Shack, and hardware store parts.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Netflix Gets TiVo Assist in Push to Join Cable-TV Lineup
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-14/netflix-is-said-to-discuss-web-based-streaming-with-cox-charter.html
Netflix Inc. (NFLX), pressing cable operators to grant equal footing to its Web-based films and television shows on their pay-TV systems, is getting an assist from set-top box maker TiVo Inc. (TIVO)
Netflix, the world’s largest subscription streaming service, is in discussions with U.S. cable-TV providers to add its application to their set-top boxes, people with knowledge of the situation said. The change would let viewers search for its content without having to switch to a different device like a video-game console or Apple TV.
TiVo’s role is key to the Netflix effort because the company, the pioneer of digital-video recorders, makes set-top boxes that are already installed in the homes of cable-TV customers across the U.S. TiVo is introducing advanced technology that integrates cable programming with Internet services, a potential boon for Netflix’s $7.99-a-month product.
“TiVo has been on a course of implementing that for cable operators,”
TiVo customers negotiating with Netflix include Cox Communications Inc., Suddenlink Communications, RCN Telecom Services and Atlantic Broadband Finance LLC, said the people, who asked not to be identified because talks are private.
One obstacle in negotiations is Netflix’s Open Connect streaming platform, designed to deliver smoother, clearer pictures to cable homes at lower costs. Netflix wants to locate storage equipment in or near cable companies’ networks. Some large cable operators have balked at using Open Connect, saying it sets a precedent that could make negotiations with other Web content companies more difficult.
Cable companies are changing their attitudes about partnerships with services such as Netflix as they confront the reality of Internet-delivered content, said Andy Hargreaves, an analyst with Pacific Crest Securities in Portland, Oregon.
“Consumers like Netflix and they like cable, and they like them more when they can access them both easily,” Hargreaves said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Netflix, as Easy as Changing the Channel
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/15/business/media/netflix-as-easy-as-changing-the-channel.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
The television two-step is familiar to nearly every household with a TV set and a Netflix subscription. To watch cable, the television must be on one setting; to browse Netflix, it has to be on another. For some family members, toggling between the two is easy; for others, it’s so befuddling that it discourages any straying from cable at all.
Now, in a sign of on-demand TV’s popularity, some cable companies, including Comcast, Charter Communications and Cox Communications, are talking with Netflix about doing away with the two-step and making the subscription service — and other online video services — available through the set-top boxes that most Americans have in their living rooms.
For the providers, the discussions are part of a broader shift toward Internet-powered delivery of television. But they also exemplify how the Comcasts of the world are gradually accepting, if not altogether embracing, Netflix, even as the cable pioneer John Malone continues to recommend that the cable industry create a Netflix rival.
“We are rapidly moving toward an environment where every device in the home, including the big TV, is connected to the Internet,” said Alex Dudley, a spokesman for Charter, a cable company.
Analysts said that if and when Netflix secures a distribution deal with one cable operator, others would probably soon follow. “This is like a new version of a programming negotiation,” said an executive with one operator.
Last month, cable distributors in Britain and Sweden paved the way by announcing their own Netflix integrations
Tomi Engdahl says:
Many of the most-pirated movies aren’t available for legitimate online purchase
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2013/10/15/people-pirate-movies-because-they-cant-get-legitimate-copies/
Why does movie piracy persist after years of efforts to stamp it out? A new website called PiracyData.org suggests a simple explanation: people pirate movies because they don’t have the option of paying for a legitimate copy online.
Every week, the file-sharing news site TorrentFreak publishes a list of the 10 most pirated movies.
The results are striking. In last week’s results, not a single film was available from streaming from services like Netflix or Amazon Prime. Only three of the top 10 films, The Lone Ranger, After Earth, and This is the End, were available for online rental.
And just six of the top 10 movies were available for online purchase.
Last week’s results were not an anomaly. The PiracyData team has been collecting data for three weeks, and during that period, not a single highly pirated film has been available to stream. And many highly-pirated movies have not been available for rental or download.
“The MPAA is complaining that Google leads people to infringing links,” Brito argues. “But what’s the alternative?” The movies that are available on file-sharing sites, he says, are “very rarely available for legal acquisition.”
Unsurprisingly, MPAA spokesperson Kate Bedingfield disagrees. “Today there are more ways than ever to watch movies and TV shows legally online, and more are constantly being added,” she said in an e-mailed statement. “If a particular film isn’t available for stream or purchase at a given moment, however, it does not justify stealing it from the creators and makers who worked hard to make it.”
Brito insists he’s not trying to excuse piracy. But, he argues, “I don’t understand how the industry is making a big show about Google not taking voluntary measures to help with piracy.”
Hollywood, he says, could “change its business model to take their own voluntary measures to deal with piracy,” by making movies more readily available through legal online channels. If it chooses not to do that, he believes, they have no business complaining that tech companies aren’t doing enough to combat the problem.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Seven Ways 3D Lidar Is Transforming Our Physical World
http://readwrite.com/2013/10/15/seven-ways-3d-lidar-is-transforming-our-physical-world#awesm=~okpzQ65P0M41kh
Picture a technology that creates perfect 3D replicas used for archeological discovery, crime-scene investigation and virtual-reality entertainment—and I’m not talking about the Enterprise Holodeck. Far from science fiction, it already exists and it’s called lidar.
Even if you’ve never heard of lidar, you’ve heard about the things it can do. The technology has been harnessed for everything from the Makerbot 3D printer to Google’s potential self-driving car. Existing in some form since the ‘60s, lidar a light-based radar that senses and analyzes reflected light in order to make an exact 3D copy of any shape or environment.
think of lidar as a kind of virtual tape measurer, “except instead of rolling out a physical tape measure, it’s a beam of light, and a sensor measures how long it takes for it to bounce back to its source.” Multiply that bouncing laser beam by the thousands, make the source a rotating mirror, put the whole thing on a moving rover and you’ve got millions of data points mapping out a 360 degree view of a 3D space.
This spring, lidar-wielding archaeologists happened upon the stuff of legend.
Security
Have you ever wondered how stadiums, campuses and other spaces prepare for an unusually high-security event, like an in-person visit from the president? More and more frequently, the answer is 3D lidar.
The event space may contract a company like Autodesk to survey the area with 3D lidar. Then, once the space is mapped, it’s easier to analyze, placing entrances, exits, crowd control and snipers in advantageous positions around the 3D shape.
“Any time the President goes anywhere, it’s always documented with 3D modeling,” said Morris. “They get that place digitized to the millimeter in order to do all sorts of planning and section people off. Whenever there’s a big event, there’s a lot getting captured in 3D.”
Search And Rescue
Lidar scanning could ensure up-to-date 3D scans of all buildings. And since lidar data is processed by machines, it can be used to instruct robots to do the rescuing in areas too dangerous for human rescuers. In cases for determining potential human danger, a rover equipped with a lidar scanner can replace a human surveyor.
More often, lidar is used to detect criminal activity rather than encourage it, right at the scene of the crime. Its millions of data points can create the most accurate possible scan of the crime scene and all the objects within it. Also, since lidar’s lasers provide their own light, it can detect up clues that a regular camera might miss.
Tomi says:
‘Spotify for TV’ Magine terrifies Euro players with smart TV deals
OTT player has just grabbed half-a-million Swedish subscribers
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/10/16/magine_tv_continues_its_european_ott_crusade_with_smart_tv_deals/
Magine TV, the Swedish cloud-based OTT service that threatens to blow a hole through European TV, has signed up smart TV makers LG Electronics, Panasonic, and TP Vision (selling Philips TVs).
The service, described as “cable in the cloud” and sometimes as “Spotify for TV”, has gained well over 500,000 subscribers in Sweden in under a year since its launch in November 2012 and beta versions are now available in Germany and Spain just ahead of the full launch, with other countries following soon. To date, Magine TV is available as an app on Apple iOS devices and Samsung smart TVs, with Android promised soon, enabling direct live streaming from the cloud without a set top box.
We predicted great things for Magine TV last year because we felt it had got the business model just right. Admittedly this was because in Sweden broadcasters are open to third party OTT as a way of extending their reach, while say in the US they are paranoid about cannibalising existing revenues and disrupting their established relationships with the big pay TV operators.
On the one hand by eschewing the need for a box, Magine TV is adopting a low cost scalable model that others could readily emulate. But the key advantage for Magine TV is the consent from broadcasters and the acquisition of popular premium content in each of the markets it enters. This involved patient negotiation and good contacts within the broadcasting industry ahead of the launch and is to some extent a barrier to entry for rivals, although no doubt they will come.
So like Aereo, Magine TV deals with live TV signals and linear broadcast, unlike other OTT providers like Netflix. But in order to secure the blessing of broadcasters and rights holders, Magine TV has had to invest a lot of its start up cash in developing a platform that is secure and seen to be so, according to its founder and CEO Mattias Hjelmsted.
We said at the launch that Magine TV was like network PVR taken to its limits by recording every minute of every channel and storing all of the content for seven days, allowing subscribers to catch up over that period. Generally seven days is the period broadcasters have ne-gotiated with rights holders for content, so as not to impinge on the subsequent window for DVD revenues.
In one important sense Magine TV is not like network PVR at all, in that there are no issues over rights. These have already been negoti-ated and for that reason Magine TV itself has distanced itself from the network PVR analogy, which we fully understand.
In Sweden, where Magine TV is flying high, content deals are particularly strong.
There will also be competition from other big players on the global stage, like Google of course. But Magine TV has every chance of establishing itself as a strong regional player in Europe on the back of its local content deals there, even if it is likely to be locked out of much of the most lucrative sporting material
Magine raised $19m in funding from Swedish and international investors for its planned European expansion, on top of the $6.5m it started with. This highlights the ability of boxless OTT to enable a startup to launch a subscription linear service not just in its own country but also across a variety of major markets, for a modest outlay. And if one company can do it, then so can about 100 others, so watch out.
NPD also found that three-quarters of the cherished 18- to 34-year-old demographic watch OTT video on their connected televisions. The most popular OTT content in order was Netflix and YouTube, Amazon Prime and Instant Video, Hulu Plus, Crackle.com, PlayStation Video and Xbox Video, but this last finding is largely irrelevant for Magine TV because the survey pertains to the US only. In Europe the order would be very different with wide variations between markets, with the BBC iPlayer way out on top in the UK for example.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung set-top box uses mediocre Smart TV software to compete with Roku, Apple TV
http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/17/4848790/samsung-smart-media-player-set-top-box-announced-with-smart-tv-software
Samsung isn’t known for its software, but that hasn’t stopped the company from pushing its Smart TV interface, which offers access to video streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO Go, and MLB.TV, as well as a selection of other utilities. The company has just announced what it’s calling the Smart Media Player, which is essentially an Apple TV or Roku competitor.
The Smart TV software itself has never been a pleasure to use
Samsung isn’t the only one to struggle with such interfaces, but since the functionality offered by them is typically a toss-in with the TV itself, we don’t pay much attention to them.
Tomi says:
Seene Uses Computer Vision To Create Unique And Eerie 3D Images On iPhone
http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/19/seene-uses-computer-vision-to-create-unique-and-eerie-3d-images-on-iphone/
It’s not often that I use a new ‘photo capture’ app and impressed by it within seconds. It’s not that there’s not a lot of cool stuff being built out there, it’s just that the frontiers are getting closer and easier to predict.
That’s not true with Seene, an app by computer vision company Obvious Engineering that leverages smartphone sensors and WebGL to present curious and eerie 3D scenes.
The ‘seenes’ themselves are images mapped onto a rough 3D model of your subject that give the feeling of being able to shift perspective even after you’ve shot it.
This produces small three-dimensional digital dioramas of a moment in time and space.
The capture process is simple. You tap on the capture button to shoot an image and then turn your device to capture the sides, top and bottom of your subject. Just a few degrees will do. The image is then processed and mapped onto a simple object that approximates 3D space. You can then view it in 3D or share it with others.
There are a couple of interesting components to Seene, in my view. First, it has the same sort of post-capture feel that Lytro, the focus-stacking camera that everyone loves but that has failed to gain an immense amount of traction in its current hardware form.
You couldn’t capture a Seene without a mobile camera in your pocket attached to accelerometers and a powerful dual-core processor that renders the images. The only mass-produced product like this that’s ever been made is the smartphone.
There have been plenty of other experiments using computer vision to model 3D scenes on the web, but Seene doesn’t use cloud processing to accomplish the unique images it produces. Instead everything, from capture to mapping to processing is done right on the device. And the processing time is nearly instantaneous
You can also view Seenes in browsers that are WebGL compatible like Chrome and new versions of Safari.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Netflix tries DVD-like extra material supply
Online TV giant Netflix plans to offer a trial of their own original productions dvd discs familiar with additional materials, such as interviews and audio commentaries.
Netflix original productions include the series Orange is the New Black and House of Cards.
Source: http://www.tietoviikko.fi/uutisia/netflix+kokeilee+dvdtyyppista+lisamateriaalitarjontaa/a939817
Tomi Engdahl says:
Soon, half of the Youtube use is mobile
Smartphones and tablet computers have already made the companies in the mobile Internet business. Google’s YouTube video service consumption is 40 percent of mobile devices.
YouTube is the world’s most popular consumer video service. Google precious stones belonging to more than one billion user company started betting the contents of the mobile editing at the earliest, and corrects the fruit. Last week’s interim report in Google reported that 40 percent of YouTube’s traffic goes mobile devices. A year ago, the proportion was only 25 per cent and two per cent six years ago.
A significant part of YouTube’s consumption is Apple’s devices. App Store distributed application is just as important to Google as its directly controlled by Google Play Android world. YouTube and the App Store’s cooperation has not always been smooth, but they both see it as necessary.
The situation is different from Microsoft, and YouTube. Windows Phone’s market share was so small that Google has been able to afford to knock out the Microsoft’s attempts to create its own native YouTube application for Nokia Lumia phones. Microsoft does not want to swallow their pride and break Google’s YouTube provisions
Facebook, which has also invested a lot of money and work on the development of mobile services, gets 41 percent of its revenue from mobile advertising.
Source: http://www.tietokone.fi/artikkeli/uutiset/pian_puolet_youtube_kaytosta_mobiilia
Tomi Engdahl says:
3D mapping software allows shoppers to virtually try on glasses before they buy
http://www.vision-systems.com/articles/2013/10/3d-mapping-software-allows-shoppers-to-virtually-try-on-glasses-before-they-buy.html
Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) have developed 3D facial mapping software which allows users to virtually try on glasses before they buy.
The software, which CSIRO is calling Smart Vision research, interprets 2D pixels from an image of a human face and turns them into a 3D model of the face.
CSIRO has exclusively licensed the new Smart Vision technology to Glasses.com, an online eyewear retailer. Glasses.com has created an interactive app which enables users to accurately see how frames fit without having to leave home. Smart Vision enables the app to produce a 180° view of a user’s face showing how each pair fits in 3D, and letting shoppers compare side-by-side images of each style.
Tomi Engdahl says:
“Gravity” blockbuster filmed by industrial robots
http://www.vision-systems.com/articles/2013/10/gravity-blockbuster-filmed-by-industrial-robots.html
Current Hollywood blockbuster Gravity, stars George Clooney and Sandra Bullock as surviving astronauts from a damaged space shuttle. The movie, which is receiving universal acclaim, required the invention of a new set of tools in order to create the film, according to director Alfonso Cuarón, since it depends almost entirely on computer-generated animation. Another aspect of the film was the accurate, or at least realistic-looking, depiction of space weightlessness.
Enter the robots.
Cuarón and team contacted a company out of San Francisco called Bot & Dolly, which redeployed robotic arms originally designed for factory automation assembly line tasks such as automotive welding and painting. The robots, called IRIS, wielded cameras, lights, props, and Clooney and Bullock themselves, throughout the filming process.
Autodesk’s Maya animation software was used to control the robots, and a custom computer interface translated the previsualized CG animation shots into physical camera moves on the set that captured the actor’s faces in the proper alignment.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Rise of Social TV: How Social Media Is Amplifying TV Advertising
http://www.businessinsider.com/social-media-amplifying-tv-advertising-2013-6?utm_source=House&utm_term=RR&utm_campaign=RR
Research has shown that TV-watching and social media usage isn’t mutually exclusive. Consumers love using social media while they watch TV. Many discuss what they’re watching, and these conversations continue long after air-time, with TV-linked chatter accounting for a significant percentage of overall social media activity.
TV industry players and TV-focused marketers realized they could piggyback on this new consumer habit. The idea was not to compete with social media, but to use it so that televised shows, events, and ad campaigns won more audience and audience participation. Social TV is how these ideas are being made tangible.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Smart TV App Revolution Is Coming: Here’s What You Need To Know
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-smart-tv-app-revolution-2013-10?utm_source=House&utm_term=RR&utm_campaign=RR
The app store phenomenon, centered on smartphones and tablets, has been the biggest story in software for the past five years.
Its next logical destination: the living room, via smart TVs and set-top boxes connected to the Internet. Smart TV apps would represent yet another threat to the struggling pay TV industry.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why The ‘Second Screen’ Is Now Ready For Prime-Time
http://www.businessinsider.com/a-primer-on-the-second-screen-industry-2013-10?utm_source=House&utm_term=RR&utm_campaign=RR
These days, TV shows and ad campaigns are planned with a smartphone or tablet-toting TV viewer in mind. A wide majority of U.S. audiences now use a second screen while watching TV, and about half of them do so on a daily basis.
The second screen industry has grown up around this now-established consumer habit. Social media is a big part of it. Social media helps to determine whether a piece of TV content will go viral, or flop. TV and ad executives spend a lot of time getting their second screen and social TV strategies right.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Piracy site IsoHunt to shut down and pay $110m
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-24580130
IsoHunt, a popular website offering BitTorrents of mostly pirated material, is to shut down following a court settlement.
The site’s owner, Canadian Gary Fung, has agreed to pay $110m (£68m) to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA).
MPAA chairman Chris Dodd said the move was a “major step forward” for legitimate commerce online.
A group of companies, including Disney, Paramount and Twentieth Century Fox, accused the site of wilfully infringing copyright by listing millions of popular movies and TV programmes – in a court battle that has lasted for more than seven years.
Now Mr Fung has agreed to settle. He added: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race and I have remained faithful. 10.5 years of IsoHunt has been a long journey by any business definition and forever in internet start-up time.
He said he did not hold a disregard for the law, and acted upon requests to remove links to pirated content when the company was made aware.
He also said the industry could render sites like IsoHunt obsolete if it offered simultaneous releases worldwide, as well as digital offerings that were cheaper than physical copies.
Their site piracydata.org has been collating the weekly top 10 most-pirated films and investigating whether legal digital methods were available.
They found that half of the movies in the list were not available to access legally online. Furthermore, none of the 10 titles could be streamed – arguably the most straightforward way to consume media online.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Netflix’s Q3 Beats Analyst Estimates With 1.3M New Domestic Subscribers, $0.52 Earnings Per Share
http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/21/netflix-q3-2013/
Netflix’s third-quarter earnings report just came out, with the company beating analyst expectations on higher-than-expected subscriber numbers.
Earnings were above analyst expectations of 49 cents a share, while revenues were in-line with the $1.1 billion forecast for the quarter.
In the second quarter, Netflix added 630,000 domestic subscribers,
Investors were also looking to see how Netflix’s international growth fared. The company added 1.4 million subscribers overseas, which contributed revenues of $183 million.
While gaining it subscribers, Netflix’s content push is also winning it some awards. The streaming service became the first of its kind to win three Emmy awards, including one for Best Director of a Drama Series, given to David Fincher for House of Cards. Those wins showed that the company could compete against cable and broadcast networks in playing the original content game.
Netflix Tops HBO In Paid U.S. Subscribers As Members Stream 5 Billion Hours Of Content In Q3
http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/21/netflix-tops-hbo-in-paid-u-s-subscribers-as-members-stream-5-billion-hours-of-content-in-q3/
exceeding analyst projections thanks to strong subscriber growth in which it added 1.3 million domestically
That’s not the only milestone Netflix checked off in the third quarter. In an earnings interview this afternoon, Hastings said that the company served up over 5 billion hours of streaming video content over the last three months.
for a total of 9 billion hours streamed over the course of the two quarters
Netflix is on a mission to compete with HBO, which has long set the standard for excellence in original content, taking home 27 Emmy Awards this year — to Netflix’s three. While it still has a long way to go in the award department, Netflix has reportedly surpassed HBO in another key area: Paid domestic subscribers. According to Netflix’s earnings report today, the company now has 29.9 million paying members, whereas SNL Kagan (via Bloomberg) reports that HBO has 28.7 million U.S. customers.
Hold onto your hats, original programming lovers, that puts Netflix in the lead for the first time.
Netflix Hits Its Numbers, Investors Go Nuts, Reed Hastings Tells Them to Chill Out
http://allthingsd.com/20131021/netflix-hits-its-numbers-investors-go-nuts-reed-hastings-tells-them-to-chill-out/
Netflix’s Q3 numbers are what Wall Street was looking for: The company now has 31 million subscribers in the U.S., and another 9 million in the rest of the world. Investors, who either hate Netflix or love Netflix but never feel neutral about it, are pushing the stock up 10 percent to $390 — an all-time high.
Given that Netflix was trading in the $50s just a year ago and is basically the same company plus a few new original shows, it might be useful to have some perspective on the disconnect between the company and its stock.
Okay: On to the company itself. As many of my colleagues have noted, Netflix now has more paying subscribers in the U.S. than Time Warner’s HBO — or at least the last numbers that HBO reported.
Tomi Engdahl says:
XBMC performance demo
http://www.raspberrypi.org/archives/4986
One of the areas we’re putting a lot of work into is XBMC performance – we’ve been a bit shocked on working through some data* to find that the Pi now appears to have more XBMC users than any other platform in the world, bar the PC (we’ve overtaken cracked Apple TV 2s), and we want to make sure you have the best possible experience with the software.
Dom Cobley and Ben Avison have been working on the platform for us, and the results so far are pretty impressive: video playback has always been good, but they’ve really tidied up the user experience in the menu in particular, and browsing through your media collection, even if it’s as big as Dom’s, is now much smoother and faster.
If you’re running the latest firmware, XBMC on the Pi is more than useable: it’s something you can happily use as your main HTPC.
tomi says:
Nokia’s Refocus Lens camera app promises infinite depth of field control
http://www.engadget.com/2013/10/22/nokias-refocus-lens-camera-app/
Nokia’s just announced a new camera app called Refocus Lens at Nokia World that brings a Lytro-like variable depth of field to Lumia cameras. Likely to be the fruits of that Scalado purchase from a while back, it’ll let you change the focus of a snapshot using “clever algorithms” while adding “brilliant splashes of color” to images via a feature called color pop. Nokia also said that images will be 5-megapixels in size and that you’ll be able to use the refocusing option while in Facebook. The app will debut on the Finnish company’s new flagship Lumia 1520 and trickle down at a later date to older devices like the Lumia 920 and 925.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia Refocus turns your Lumia into a Lytro-like camera
http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/22/4865576/nokia-refocus-windows-phone-app-hands-on-photos-video
Nokia may have had a bunch of hardware on display at its Abu Dhabi event today, but some of the company’s most impressive work is linked with its camera improvements. While the Lumia 1020 introduced a 41-megapixel camera and a new Pro Cam app, Nokia is detailing a new addition to its app line-up today: Nokia Refocus. It’s a separate app that works with all of Nokia’s PureView Windows Phones to allow owners to refocus parts of an image.
The most obvious comparison is to Lytro’s camera hardware that lets you focus your pictures after you’ve taken them. Nokia isn’t using any unique hardware to achieve that, instead its using a software app that can create similar results. It’s probably not going to be as good as a real Lytro camera, but it might just be second best.
As Nokia Refocus is a separate app, you’ll need to launch it from the Windows Phone Start Screen. It starts up into a camera mode that simply directs you to tap and take a picture. What it actually does is it analyses the scene and then takes between two and eight photos to allow you to refocus afterwards. It’s actually rather impressive.
The real beauty of the apps is that Nokia allows you to upload the images and share them to Facebook and other social networks. Friends can then interact with the photos and refocus freely. If the whole software refocusing and sharing sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Focus Twist for iOS is pretty much identical to this, allowing iPhone users to refocus after a shot and share their results. Obviously the backing from Nokia on its Lumia Windows Phone handsets means the usage could be more widespread, but not until Nokia builds it into its new Camera app.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Making an Airgap Flash
http://hackaday.com/2013/10/22/making-an-airgap-flash/
[Maurice] and his team just finished the airgap flash they’ve been working on for a year now. This kind of flash is useful for very high speed photography such as photographing shooting bullets. With a duration of about a millionth of a second it is 30 times faster the normal flashes at their fastest settings.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Look Inside the 8K Theater Technology At the Newly Renovated Fiske Planetarium
http://science.slashdot.org/story/13/10/23/0148223/a-look-inside-the-8k-theater-technology-at-the-newly-renovated-fiske-planetarium
‘Fiske’s refurbished video system projects ultra high-definition pictures at 8,000 by 8,000 pixels in size, giving audience members a crystal-clear 360-degree view on the dome’s 65-foot screen. “The size and quality is the equivalent of 40 Blu-ray players projecting 40 sections of one video image at once,” said [Doug Duncan, director of Fiske].
Comments:
This was one of the last, if not the last, planetariums in Colorado that still had the classic projector that was this huge awesome piece of machinery that rose from the floor like a magical thing
It seems all planetariums are going to the “IMAX” format, and frankly, it sucks. The Denver Planetarium is absolutely lame now, they don’t have any good presentations, half the time everything is on auto-pilot and there’s no real person there.
I’m just glad my kids got to see Fiske once before it was replaced with “better” technology that’s much less impressive in it’s physical effect on visitors. Going forward, the only thing kids are going to see different with “planetarium” vs. “movie theater” is that the planetarium has a domed screen, and this one happens to have a disco ball in the middle of it.
Although the old Zeiss was super impressive, technologically it was old hat — lots of burnt out bulbs, etc.
Unless you are seated right in the center of the theater (which is only a small part of the total seating) your movie experience will suck big time
Tomi Engdahl says:
YouTube Close to Launching Subscription Music Service (Breaking)
http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/digital-and-mobile/5763268/youtube-close-to-launching-subscription-music-service
YouTube is preparing a premium on-demand music service — akin to a Spotify, but with video — to launch later this year, according to several sources familiar with the plans.
The service, designed with mobile listening in mind, will have a free component and a premium tier that offers unlimited access to a full catalog of tracks similar to what’s already available via YouTube’s parent company, Google Inc., via its All Access subscription music service. Premium features would include the ability to cache music for offline listening and removing ads.
Tomi Engdahl says:
TVs Can’t Be Smart. So Stop Trying to Make It Happen
http://www.wired.com/opinion/2013/10/smart-tv-is-dumb-why-there-wont-be-a-smart-tv-ecosystem/
“Smart” (that is, internet-enabled) TVs are still all the rage as consumer electronics companies dream of copying the Apple-driven evolution of the smartphone. They, too, want to create new revenue streams around the next great ecosystem.
Yet more than 40 percent of U.S. households that have smart TVs actually haven’t even connected them to the internet. Smart TVs, unfortunately, may simply be a 21st century version of WebTV (introduced in 1996) that enables third-party web applications to be displayed on the television. Which means that TVs still remain what consumer electronics companies like Samsung, LG, and Sony fear most: a “dumb” screen or just a video display monitor.
Operating a TV ecosystem is a lot more complicated than simply connecting a consumer electronics device to the internet. There are also key differences around the TV space
that make the dream of smart TVs just that: a dream.
But… Look at What Apple Did With Smartphones. Why Can’t That Work for TV?
Fearful of relegating TV to remaining “dumb,” consumer electronics manufacturers look to the success of Apple’s iPhone/iPad/iTunes, Google/Android, or Amazon ecosystems as examples of what could happen with smart TV.
But do consumer electronics companies really think they can monetize the new feature of accessing the web with smart TVs? Even with an industry standard for smart TVs, it’s not likely that those companies could start charging Netflix, Amazon, Pandora, and others for access to their screens. And conversely, by not controlling the device, these service providers operate at the whim of the smart TV.
Stating the obvious, it’s important to emphasize here that a television is not a phone — it’s a display device. Phones, on the other hand, are communications devices that have evolved into portable computers
And although the Smart TV Alliance is attempting to create an industry standard platform, the core tenet of integration with content is still missing. For example, a common social environment for sharing, discussing (and ultimately creating) TV programming will be impossible with random-format platforms. Content providers and developers want a large installed base of devices before they create content for a platform.
An under-$200 set-top box that works with all TVs is a much more attractive option.
Controlling the TV Ecosystem Requires Controlling the Device and the Service
Currently, apps on smart TV range from Facebook and Twitter to Pandora and Skype. And although some of the apps are over-the-top (OTT) video providers like Netflix and Hulu — which happen to be among the most-used smart TV apps — all these apps operate independently of the television programming provided by pay-TV operators (cable, satellite, telco).
Web technology changes much faster than TV technology. But the idea of avoiding future obsolescence goes against the consumer electronic mindset.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Source: Comcast Launching HBO Broadband Bundle Aimed at Netflix
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Source-Comcast-Launching-HBO-Broadband-Bundle-Aimed-at-Netflix-126362
An insider familiar with Comcast’s promotional plans tells DSLreports that the company is preparing a new broadband and HBO streaming bundle aimed squarely at Netflix. The new promotion will be called “Internet Plus,” and will include Limited Basic TV (20 channels plus VOD), Comcast’s streaming video service StreamPix, 25 Mbps broadband and HBO/HBO GO. The 12 month promotion is expected to retail for $40-$50 depending on the market (or, more specifically, the lack of competition in your market).
The most interesting component of the offer is the inclusion of HBO and HBO Go.
“Nearly a decade of promotional offer designs, and we have never had a limited basic/premium combination,” notes the source.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Netflix original TV shows gamble pays off… to the tune of 10m new viewers
Quadruples profits too
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/10/22/netflix_quarter_results/
Netflix’s foray into original programming has paid off, with global subscriber numbers jumping past 40 million and profits quadrupling from the same period last year.
The online video streaming firm said its net profit was $32m in the three months to the end of September, compared to an $8m income in the same quarter of 2012.
“We are very pleased to have over 40 million members, up from less than 30 million just one year ago,” Netflix wrote in a letter to shareholders.
Since original programming has done so much for the firm’s fortunes, Netflix is now planning to double its investment in making new shows, although that will still be less than ten per cent of its overall content expenses.
Tomi Engdahl says:
That’s a lotta cats: 40% of YouTube vids are streamed to mobes
All well and good, but where’s the revenue?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/10/21/mobile_tops_youtube_charts/
40 per cent of YouTube streams are being delivered to mobile devices, to Google’s delight – though this could seen as a failure to get beyond blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cat videos into something more profitable.
The company also reported that YouTube’s mobile users now account for 40 per cent of the traffic, to the voluble delight of recently-departed product manager Hunter Walk
There’s no denying that YouTube is popular on mobile devices, though we’d argue that much of that consumption isn’t mobile. YouTube has become a popular jukebox for those who find Spotify’s freemium offering too complicated – or expensive – so iPads around the world are potentially sitting in man caves playing music while appearing as mobile consumers of video.
YouTube has aspirations beyond filling three minutes of boredom; it wants long form content to complete with Netflix and LoveFilm, but both its brand and experience work against that.
Tomi says:
DirecTV, Time Warner Cable Are Said to Weigh Aereo-Type Services
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-10-25/directv-time-warner-cable-said-to-consider-aereo-type-services.html
DirecTV, Time Warner Cable Inc. (TWC) and Charter Communications Inc. (CHTR), taking a page from Aereo Inc., are considering capturing free broadcast-TV signals to avoid paying billions of dollars in so-called retransmission fees, said people with knowledge of the deliberations.
Aereo, which charges $8 a month for online access to broadcast TV, is locked in a court battle with CBS Corp. (CBS) and other media companies over the legality of its service. If Aereo prevails, cable companies could use the same approach to bypass the fees they now pay for network signals
Broadcast TV companies petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court this month to rule that Aereo is an illegal operation.
“If found to be legal, the Aereo concept is very interesting, especially as it relates to retransmission consent fees,” Maureen Huff, a spokeswoman for New York-based Time Warner Cable, said yesterday.
The broadcasters are trying to preserve their ability to charge retransmission fees, which let pay-TV companies air CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox on their systems.
“This threatens the retrans gravy train,” said Rich Greenfield, an analyst with BTIG LLC in New York. “As Aereo continues to win legal battles, it’s becoming more apparent it could survive these challenges.”
Retransmission fees in the U.S. are expected to double to $6.1 billion in 2018 from $3.01 billion this year, according to research firm SNL Kagan.
The fees are essential to the broadcast TV industry, Fox President and Chief Operating Officer Chase Carey said in April. If Aereo is permitted to stay in business, Fox’s broadcast network will convert into a cable channel and cease to provide over-the-air access, he said at the time.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Top 5 Gaps in the Deployment of Media Applications and Services
http://www.techonline.com/electrical-engineers/education-training/tech-papers/4421791/The-Top-5-Gaps-in-the-Deployment-of-Media-Applications-and-Services
Use of media applications and services has been exploding in recent years with no signs of slowing. Homes are now “connected” as consumers create, share and enjoy diverse media in ever more sophisticated ways and across many devices. As communications service providers (CSPs) and Consumer Electronics (CE) manufacturers take advantage of the enormous opportunities
Tomi Engdahl says:
Photoshop makes anything possible
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPnfjwKfkSk
This video Created by Global Democracy.com in 2011, the clip which
has re-surfaced all over social media this week, demonstrates the full
extent of airbrushing techniques used on models.
The purpose of the video is to encourage “mandatory disclaimers”
in advertising which state that a model has had her body digitally
manipulated in the hope of discouraging the practice of airbrushing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Netflix starts 4K TV trial ahead of 2014 rollout
House of Cards is likely to be first Ultra HD TV show
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2304666/netflix-starts-4k-tv-trial-ahead-of-2014-rollout
TV AND FILM STREAMING SERVICE Netflix has started a trial of Ultra HD 4K TV ahead of a planned rollout next year.
According to Gigaom, Netflix quietly added a handful of 4K movies to its streaming service in the past week. The films are apparently test footage used at Netflix, such as one named El Fuente: 24 MP which shows off 4K TV at 24 frames per second.
Hunt said during an interview in March with The Verge, “Streaming will be the best way to get the 4K picture into people’s homes. That’s because of the challenges involved in upgrading broadcast technologies and the fact that it isn’t anticipated within the Blu-ray disc standard.
“Clearly we have much work to do with the compression and decode capability, but we expect to be delivering 4K within a year or two with at least some movies and then over time become an important source of 4K.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Video: BlinkScan Captures Multiple Images at Once
http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1394&doc_id=269350&cid=nl.dn14
Standalone scanners have slowly become outdated over the years. Most people who scan images either have a scanner integrated into a printer or just snap a picture from a smartphone. Easy-to-assemble cardboard structures have been made for use with phones. The cleverly built Scanbox uses neodymium magnets to hold itself together. A smartphone rests at the perfect location for snapping photos of documents, and the box folds back up when you’re done.
The BlinkScan can scan multiple images at once. It will automatically format each picture nicely and create separate image files for each one.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is YouTube Too Big to Have a Really Big Show?
http://allthingsd.com/20131104/is-youtube-too-big-to-have-a-really-big-show/
The best-case scenario for last night’s YouTube Music Awards was that they would do something really cool with live music and live video that we haven’t seen before.
And that’s what they did, for the show’s first six minutes.
And, if you’re in business with the Grammys or MTV’s Video Music Awards, you’re probably pretty pleased with yourself this morning. YouTube’s view-counters showed a peak audience of about 220,000 concurrent viewers during the show’s livestream — a fraction of what the established shows get.
A bit more surprising was the lack of a Miley moment last night — something shocking, or fake-shocking, designed to reverberate outside of the event. YouTube had at least four potential provocateurs up onstage, but Eminem, Lady Gaga, MIA and Tyler the Creator were all very well behaved.**
But, regardless of how YouTube tweaks and/or overhauls future shows — and I hope they keep experimenting — I wonder how they’re going to grapple with a fundamental problem: They won’t ever be able to please their audience, because their audience is permanently atomized.
YouTube’s core audience does have some stuff in common — it’s young, and it likes music — but after that, things get pretty specific. Line up YouTube’s biggest acts, and you’ll find lots of crossover between fans — and lots of blind spots, too. That’s going to happen when everyone watches you on their own screen, on their own time.