MEMS mics are taking over. Almost every mobile device has ditched its old-fashioned electret microphone invented way back in 1962 at Bell Labs. Expect new piezoelectric MEMS microphones, which promise unheard of signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) of up to 80 dB (versus 65 dB in the best current capacitive microphones) in 2015. MEMS microphones are growing like gangbusters.
Analysts and veterans of the International CES expect to see plenty of 4K ultra-high-definition televisions, new smartwatch uses, and a large section of the show floor dedicated to robotics. 2015 will be the first year CES gets behind 4K in a big way, as lower price points make the technology more attractive to consumers. Samsung, Sony, Sharp, and Toshiba will be big players in the 4K arena. OEMs must solve the problem of intelligence and connectivity before 4K will really take off. CES attendees may also see 4K TVs optimized for certain tasks, along with a variety of sizes. There will be 10-inch and 14-inch and 17-inch UHD displays.
4K is not enough anymore? 8K – finally come true? Korean giant LG has promised to introduce ehdan 8K TV at CES 2015 exhibition in January. 8K means a total of 33.2 million pixels, or 7680 x 4320 resolution. 4K video material fate is still uncertain, 8K video can not with certainty not available for a long time.
Sound bars will be a big issue at shows. One problem with new TVs — the thinner they are, the harder it is to get sound out.
Open file formats Matroska Video (MKV) and Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC) gets more widely used as Windows 10 To Feature Native Support For MKV and FLAC.
Watching shows online is more common now. More people are watching videos on smaller screens. You can use a tablet as personal TV. Phablets and portable televisions have taken off in China, Japan, and Korea, where many people watch videos during long commutes. Tablets now have become so ubiquitous and inexpensive that you can buy them for a specific application. Much of the innovation will be in software, rather than hardware — tuning the tablets to boot up like a television instead of an Android tablet
We’re all spending more time with smartphones and tablets. So much so that the “second screen” may now be the “first screen,” depending on the data you read. It seems inevitable that smartphones and tablets will replace the television in terms of time spent. Many metrics firms, including Nielsen, report on the rapid increase of mobile device usage—especially when it comes to apps. Half of YouTube’s views now come from phones and tablets.
Qualcomm will push this year broadcast LTE. That will be picked up more and more by some vendors in tablets, so they can have broadcast TV signals, but it doesn’t have to be generic LTE.
There will be lots of talking on traditional TV vs new streaming services, especially on who gets which program material and at what price. While it’s possible to create a TV platform that doesn’t deal with live channels, smart TVs and game consoles alike generally try to integrate the content as best they can.
Netflix’s new strategy to take on cable involves becoming best friends with cable to get its app included on set-top boxes of cable, fiber and satellite TV operators. Roughly 90 million U.S. households subscribe to cable or other forms of pay TV, and more than 73 million subscribe to the biggest five operators alone. That’s why Netflix has been working hard to team up with one of these major operators.
Google intends to integrate content best it can. Google Publishes ‘Live Channels For Android TV’ App Into The Play Store. G The “Live Channels for Android TV” app is unsurprisingly incompatible with phones and tablets, maybe because for some reason those markets are intentionally artificially tried to be kept separate.
Virtual reality video is trying to get to spotlight. Samsung’s new Milk VR to round up 360-degree videos for Gear VR article tells that Milk VR will provide the videos for free as Samsung hopes to goose interest in virtual reality. Milk VR service will provide free 360-degree videos to anyone using a Gear VR virtual-reality headset (uses Galaxy Note 4). Samsung wants to jump-start the virtual-reality movement as the company is looking at virtual reality as a potential growth engine at a time when one of its key traditional revenue sources — smartphones — has slowed down. The videos will also serve as a model for future filmmakers or artists looking to take advantage of the virtual-reality medium, as well as build up an ecosystem and viewership for VR content.
Although digital video is increasing in popularity, analog video remains in use in many applications.
1,154 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teensy Super Audio Board
Professional quality, 24 bit, 192kHz audio breakout board for Teensy 3.x, Raspberry Pi, and more.
https://hackaday.io/project/5912-teensy-super-audio-board
Professional quality audio breakout board, mainly targeted towards Teensy 3.x and Raspberry Pi 2, but also should be compatible with any boards having an I2S and I2C interface broken out (FPGA boards with enough GPIO included).
The hardware design is open sourced under Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-NC v4.0 license.
I started the design by choosing the audio codec. The best one that I could find for a moderate price and in a package conducive to hand soldering (ie, no QFN, BGA, etc) was the Cirrus CS4272.
The CS4272 is a really high quality codec. It can do sample rates up to 192kHz at a bit depth of 24 bits. It’s banner specs are a THD+N of -100dB and a dynamic range of -114dB. It is an ideal choice for a professional quality sound board.
One issue with the CS4272 is that it doesn’t include the analog input and output buffers that are commonly integrated into lower quality audio codecs. This necessitates a lot of additional external circuitry that must be carefully designed to avoid compromising the audio quality of the codec itself.
Tomi Engdahl says:
This camera churn out paper images without ink
Polaroid has released Snap-retro camera, which prints the images immediately to paper.
The new Polaroid snap works like a decades-old predecessor, but is completely digital. Presented on IFA trade show in Berlin, the camera is a nostalgic ocker camera with a printer inside.
The printer operates in inkless Zero Ink technology. The photo paper is a composite material in which are embedded under the process colors, cyan, yellow and magenta-colored crystals protective polymer coating. The printer heats the paper to activate the desired colored crystals.
The development will take less than a minute for size of 7.5 x 5 cm.
50 on the stack of paper costs $ 30, or about EUR 27. The camera itself will cost $ 99 or € 89.
Source: http://www.tivi.fi/Kaikki_uutiset/tama-kamera-suoltaa-ulos-paperisia-kuvia-ilman-mustetta-3482287
Recreate the Magic of Classic Instant Photography with the Polaroid Snap Instant Digital Camera
http://www.polaroid.com/news/polaroid-snap-instant-digital-camera-share-the-fun-with-one-snap-one-print
Tomi Engdahl says:
Photoshop for 40 quid: Affinity Photo pushes pixels further than most
Even creative pros are curious to try Serif’s image editor
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/09/05/review_serif_affinity_photo_image_editor/
When El Reg tested the leading alternatives to Photoshop we told you to keep an eye out for Affinity Photo, a Mac-only rival from Serif that looked like being the best yet. It’s now out of beta and available for £40, which would buy you a Photoshop subscription for less than five months.
Still, you could get an image editing app for even less, and Apple already gives you one free – helpfully called Photos
Naturally, this £40 app doesn’t attempt to match all of Photoshop’s features – which extend into areas such as animation and 3D printing – but it does aim to provide a complete environment for image manipulation.
Affinity Photo isn’t Photoshop. You might occasionally hit something it can’t do, and although it does accept Photoshop plug-ins, not all of them will work, as with any third-party app.
Serif’s companion vector drawing app, Affinity Designer, is already a credible Illustrator rival, and next year’s Affinity Publisher will go up against InDesign and QuarkXPress.
For anyone not wedded to Adobe Creative Cloud, these apps look like becoming the creative equivalent of Apple’s Pages, Numbers and Keynote – the default work tools you install on a new Mac. Maybe Photo could even remind people that there’s more to photo editing than one-click retro filters
Tomi Engdahl says:
Will Oculus explode or flop like Google Glass?
http://thenextweb.com/insider/2015/09/06/will-oculus-explode-or-flop-like-google-glass/
The virtual reality display manufacturer Oculus made news in July when it was announced that the company, owned by Facebook, had acquired the 3D gesture and tracking startup Pebbles Interfaces for a whopping $60 million. This buyout is one of the latest in a series of companies working in the field of VR that have been snatched up in recent months by companies like Oculus: What are they up to?
Up to this point, the whole VR field has been treated with a fair amount of skepticism, with many remembering the early ‘90s when clunky forms of VR systems were presented as the next stage in gaming before being quickly discarded in favor of faster versions of the standard consoles. While different developers have continued to work on VR related projects, they gained little notice until Facebook joined the party with their 2014 purchase of Oculus for a price tag of $2 billion and 23.1 shares of Facebook stock.
The intrigue surrounding Oculus and it Rift console is its promise of adding a new dimension to the world of gaming. So why has the social media and advertising giant Facebook taken such a keen interest in VR and what does this say about the future of the technology in consumer culture? Ultimately, is this the right move, or is Facebook making a similar mistake to Google’s Glass?
Where does it go from here?
New technologies deserve a healthy dose of pessimism and even potentially good ideas can end in poor execution.
After a 20-year break from the consumer market, it looks like VR is ready to start its comeback. This will be an uphill battle and is unlikely to catch on quickly, but once it does, it can be expected to change societal interactions and the way we experience the world around us.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Augmenting Your Systems With Embedded Vision
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=216&doc_id=1327615&
Want to add embedded vision to your system? This just got easier with OMRON’s Human Vision Components (HVC) modules.
The HVC module integrates OMRON’s best in class image sensing technology (OKAO Vision) along with a camera, processor, and external interface, all onto a single 60mm x 40mm PCB. The module boasts 10 functions as follows:
Human body detection
Hand detection
Face detection
Face recognition
Age estimation
Gender estimation
Facial pose estimation
Gaze estimation
Blink detection
Expression/mood estimation
The HVC module uses serial communication via UART to communicate its findings in real-time to your main system, which can use this information as the basis for its actions. In the case of a flat screen display showing an advert in a store, for example, the system may present different adverts based on the age and/or gender of the person viewing the display. Similarly, a vending machine may base its food and beverage recommendations on the age and/or gender of the customer.
I can envisage so many applications for this sort of thing.
http://media.digikey.com/Resources/Omron/omron-hvc-module-product-release.pdf
Tomi Engdahl says:
‘Safe’ screens touted for those who just can’t look away
http://phys.org/news/2015-09-safe-screens-touted.html
As it gets harder to tear our eyes away from smartphones, televisions, tablets or computers, concerns are growing over a blue light emitted by their screens, blamed for harming the retina and causing interrupted sleep.
Electronics giants are turning crisis into an opportunity—quickly declaring that their latest products feature “safe” screens.
At the IFA mega consumer electronics show in Berlin, Dutch company Philips is showcasing a new technology for its computer screens called “SoftBlue,” which it claims is gentler on the retina.
“We are shifting the harmful blue light frequencies, which are below 450 nanometers, to above 460 nanometers,” said Philips’ marketing director Stefan Sommer.
Other brands like Asus and BenQ, along with American firm ViewSonic, have also seized on “safe” screens as a new selling point.
It is all scare-mongering or scientific fact? Serge Picaud, a researcher at the Institute of Sight in Paris, has a more measured take on it.
“We should not be so afraid that we bin all our screens,” he said.
Picaud carried out a study in 2013 in which he exposed sample retina cells from a pig—similar to those found in humans—to different wavelengths of light, and showed that those between 415 and 455 nanometres killed the cells.
Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-09-safe-screens-touted.html#jCp
Tomi Engdahl says:
Using LTSpice to Measure Total Harmonic Distortion
http://hackaday.com/2015/09/07/using-ltspice-to-measure-total-harmonic-distortion/
Audiophiles spend a lot of time and effort worrying about audio specs like Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). Makes sense, because THD affects the quality of audio reproduction. However, THD can also affect interference from radio signals and even losses in power transfer systems.
If a circuit produced a perfect sine wave, there would be no harmonics. There are many ways to measure THD in practice, but [Michael Jackson] has an interesting video showing how he easily visualizes THD using LTSpice. Assuming you already have the system in question in LTSpice (or you could use another simulation tool, if you prefer) it is fairly straightforward.
The key concept is to find what the expected output is.
The rest is probably pretty obvious. You replace the load and look at the output of the differential amplifier. You can do an FFT on it to gain further insight into what’s happening.
LTSPICE THD in Audio amplifiers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKlMVNoQGiY
Tomi Engdahl says:
The iPad Controlled Camera Slider
http://hackaday.com/2015/09/08/the-ipad-controlled-camera-slider/
would love a camera slider controlled by their favorite iDevice, commercial motorized camera sliders are expensive, and there’s no great open source alternative out there. They decided to build one for themselves that can be controlled either from a PS3 controller or from its own iPad app with the help of an ESP8266 WiFi module.
The camera slider is a two-axis ordeal, with one axis sliding the camera along two solid rails, and the other panning the camera. The circuit board was milled by the guys and includes an ATMega328 controlling two Pololu stepper drivers. An ESP8266 is thrown into the mix, and is easily implemented on the device; it’s just an MAX232 chip listening to the Tx and Rx lines of the WiFi module and translating that to something the ATMega can understand.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Seller invented a gold mine: body cameras mounted Police officers dropped the use of force and complaints
US police use of force has been repeatedly the subject of criticism of citizens. The situation has not eased Ferguson’s case, where the local police shot a black young man.
However, Birmingham in Alabama Police Department has found a way to reduce the complaints of police tasks: it has equipped the police body attachable cameras. Cameras have also made the officers more cautious.
The cameras have reduced complaints, with 71 percent of the officers duties and reduced the police use of force by 38 percent.
Body Cameras have worked so well that the police department is considering the acquisition of those still 300 more TASER International. The aim is that everyone dressed in uniform also bears constantly telling the camera.
Cameras have brought to the police department of another problem, which is indeed unnecessary use of force significantly lower. The cameras produce data at the pace that its preservation and management is a challenge. Petabytes of data per year accumulates.
The police department has purchased Taserin Evicence.comilta based on Amazon Web Services cloud storage service 5 terabytes of storage. Even a couple of months amounted to 1.5 terabytes of data.
“The biggest problem of this system is recording price,”
Mere cameras cost Birmingham for around $ 180 000 per year.
The analyst estimates that police departments pay $ 25-30 per camera per month to Taser for recording.
Recording makes it important that the videos can be used as evidence: In practice, the material must be preserved for the entire duration of criminal proceedings.
Source: http://www.tivi.fi/Kaikki_uutiset/myyja-keksi-kultakaivoksen-poliiseille-asennetut-vartalokamerat-pudottivat-voimankayton-ja-valitukset-3482580
Tomi Engdahl says:
Now is the resolution of 250 million pixels
Canon said to have developed a CMOS-based image sensor, which is capable of storing as many as 250 million pixels. The company appoints new size, the term APS-H. It is the world’s high-resolution CMOS circuit.
The cell is pixels 19580 x 12600. According to Canon succeeded in seeing the aircraft side texts 18 kilometers away. Optical and electronic magnification of the camera’s high-priority area, which was a 1: 40000-part of the acquired photograph.
When each screen is 250 million pixels, the sensor does not take into any high-speed video.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3293:nyt-on-resoluutiota-250-miljoonaa-pikselia&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Netflix to complete global rollout, add 120+ countries by end of 2016
Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong And Taiwan first off the rank
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/09/09/netflix_to_complete_global_rollout_add_120_countries_by_end_of_2016/
Netflix has announced it “will expand into South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan in early 2016 as it moves to complete its global rollout by the end of next year.”
The last part of the sentence is perhaps the most significant as the company has previously merely hinted at its rollout plans, telling investors in a letter (PDF) in January 2015 that “we now believe we can complete our global expansion over the next two years”, and that “Acceleration to 200 countries” is on the agenda. At the time of writing, Netflix says it’s accessible in 77 nations or territories.
Completing a 200-nation rollout by the end of 2016 will require 123 nations to come aboard by year’s end, at a rate of nearly two a week.
If it succeeds, Netflix will do three interesting things. The most obvious is that wherever the company lands, incumbent carriers are in for a busy time as the streaming video concern’s arrival usually brings with it a spike in traffic. Long-haul, backhaul and last mile carriers all cop a surge in demand for bit-barrowing services offering with the high quality of service required to ensure streaming video behaves well.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Non-Linux FOSS: PlexConnect
http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/non-linux-foss-plexconnect?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+linuxjournalcom+%28Linux+Journal+-+The+Original+Magazine+of+the+Linux+Community%29
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Plex. It might be a secret, however, that I live in a house with quite a few Apple products. That said, I find the Apple TV to be one of the most limiting, frustrating set-top boxes to work with.
The open-source PlexConnect is really just a brilliant translation layer that hijacks DNS (pointing http://trailers.apple.com to the PlexConnect server IP) and feeds the Apple TV data formatted like it expects. Rather than showing a listing of recent movie trailers, however, PlexConnect shows a direct interface with your Plex media server. And to be honest, the interface is actually surprisingly pleasant to use.
It’s open source and available on GitHub: https://github.com/iBaa/PlexConnect.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft Announces VP9 Support For Edge
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/15/09/09/029241/microsoft-announces-vp9-support-for-edge
As noted by some a few days ago, Microsoft has started development on new multimedia container and codec support for Edge. Over on the Edge development blog, Microsoft has now officially announced that “WebM/VP9 support is now in development in Microsoft Edge. VP9 is an open source codec that offers efficient compression to stream HD content at lower bitrates, and is well suited to UHD streaming. Initial support for VP9 will be available in Windows Insider Preview builds soon.
As noted by some a few days ago, Microsoft has started development on new multimedia container and codec support for Edge. Over on the Edge development blog, Microsoft has now officially announced that “WebM/VP9 support is now in development in Microsoft Edge. VP9 is an open source codec that offers efficient compression to stream HD content at lower bitrates, and is well suited to UHD streaming. Initial support for VP9 will be available in Windows Insider Preview builds soon.
Announcing VP9 support coming to Microsoft Edge
https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2015/09/08/announcing-vp9-support-coming-to-microsoft-edge/
VP9 Support
Our initial VP9 implementation in Microsoft Edge will support adaptive streaming using Media Source Extensions, and will be detectable using the MediaSource.isTypeSupported() API. It will be specifically targeted to meet the needs of websites that use VP9 to deliver video in combination with MP4/AAC or other audio codecs already supported by Microsoft. We are working on future support for VP9 for media tags and local playback, as well as considering support for additional audio formats likely to be used with VP9 such as Opus.
VP9 Usage
Our implementation of VP9 will support software decoding and, when supported by the device, hardware decoding.
Given this, VP9 will initially be implemented behind an experimental flag in Microsoft Edge as we continue to work with industry partners on broader support for hardware decoding
Other Formats
We are committed to continually adding new formats to Microsoft Edge to ensure our customers have the best streaming experiences. As part of this commitment, this week Microsoft became a founding member of the newly formed Alliance for Open Media. This announcement represents a commitment from Microsoft and other member companies to specify and develop new open technologies and formats that meet the needs of future media applications. VP9 and other video technologies, such as Thor and Daala, will be a starting point for this new media format work.
Beyond this, there are other existing open source audio and video formats we are evaluating, beginning with OGG, Opus, and Vorbis.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Disney Movies Anywhere Expands to Amazon, Microsoft, Roku and Android TV
https://www.thurrott.com/music-videos/xbox-video/5792/disney-movies-anywhere-expands-to-amazon-microsoft-roku-and-android-tv
Walt Disney Studios announced this week that it would expand the availability of its cloud-based video service content to include Amazon and Microsoft this week, and then Roku and Android TV next week. The service has long been available to users of Apple’s iTunes and Apple TV.
The service is called Disney Movies Anywhere.
Basically, when you buy Disney videos from “participating providers”—today, that includes Amazon Video, Apple iTunes, Google Play, Microsoft, and VUDU—you can link those purchases to Disney and then access them all from a single location. (Or, you could buy the content through the Disney Movies Anywhere site, using one of those providers.) In doing so, you are linking a Disney account with one or more provider accounts. For whatever reason.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
Sources: Periscope is developing an app for the new Apple TV for watching livestreams — Periscope Is Secretly Building An Apple TV App — Periscope is developing an app for the new Apple TV, according to multiple sources. It will allow users to watch livestreams on their
Periscope Is Secretly Building An Apple TV App
http://techcrunch.com/2015/09/08/periscope-apple-tv/
Tomorrow, Apple will unveil an upgraded Apple TV set-top box that includes an Apple TV App Store featuring apps built by third-party developers, BuzzFeed News previously reported. Games are slated to be a big focus for the Apple TV platform that’s built on iOS, thanks to a multi-functional new remote controller reported by 9to5Mac that includes motion-control. But the Apple TV platform will also support an array of other experiences. Few of the apps have been outed yet, but sources confirm Periscope will be one of them.
Tomi Engdahl says:
John Gruber / Daring Fireball:
Thoughts about Apple’s event: iPad Pro should compare favorably to recent MacBooks, Apple TV might be the most disruptive Apple product since iPhone, more
http://www.daringfireball.net/2015/09/thoughts_and_observations_on_todays_hey_siri_event
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sorry Samsung, Philips, LG, Technicolor: EU upholds €1.4bn cartel fine
Toshiba, Panasonic get TV and computer screen fines reduced
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/09/10/eu_court_upholds_14bn_fine_over_big_7_tv_and_computer_screen_cartel/
The European Union’s General Court has upheld a €1.4bn (£1bn) fine against Samsung, Philips, LG Electronics and Technicolor for cartel-like behaviour, while reducing fines imposed on Toshiba and Panasonic.
In 2012, the European Commission fined the companies €1.47bn for participating in either one or both of two distinct cartels in the sector of cathode ray tubes.
For almost ten years, between 1996 and 2006, the commission said the companies fixed prices, shared markets, allocated customers and restricted their output.
The settlement fund will be available to anyone in the US who purchased a CRT product between 1995 and 2007.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sign of the telly times: HDR shines, UHD Blu-ray slides at IFA
German tech show low on product launches but big on bitching and banter
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/09/10/breaking_fad_hdr_shines_and_uhd_blu_ray_slides_at_ifa_2015/
This year’s IFA gadget expo proved to be a chaotic platform for next generation TV technology. HDR (High Dynamic Range) gained traction, while 4K UHD Blu-ray took one step forward and two back. There were boys’ toys and bluster a-plenty.
You didn’t have to go far for an HDR demo. Pretty much every TV vendor was running one. Some were simply beautiful, others more worrying.
Depending who you talked to, HDR is all about peak brightness (this from sellers of extremely bright LED TVs) or contrast and colour (opined by purveyors of OLED and projection). The viewing experiences are actually quite different. I’ve eyeballed plenty of both, and I think I know on whose side I come down on.
Veteran Philips TV guru Danny Tack says HDR is all about the nits. The incoming Philips set has a peak brightness of 1000nits, but it won’t stop there. “Yes, we are looking to raise this in the future,” he told me, beaming that “1200nits to 1500nits is possible.”
By way of comparison, HDR-enabled OLED has a peak brightness of just 400nits.
The contention is that while Samsung 4K LED screens use a traditional red, green, and blue subpixel arrangement, LG’s new panel design adds a fourth white subpixel. So instead of using three static coloured subpixels (creating 3840 pixels across in total), RGBW implements four (RGB, WRG, BWR and GBW) that constantly cycle, totalling 2880 pixels.
One of the more impressive viewing experiences at the show came from Sony. Its new VPL-VW520ES 4K projector is the first to offer HDR support. At 1800 lumens its lamp isn’t going to sear your retinas
It may have been one of the worst kept secrets in consumer electronics, but that didn’t stop Panasonic’s first OLED telly drawing similar gasps of admiration. The TX-65CZ950 is a 65-inch curved panel that sets new standards when it comes to picture fidelity.
The screen is the first to be granted THX 4K certification.
4K Blu-ray delay
If you were hoping to see 4K Blu-ray spin into action at IFA, then you’ll have been severely disappointed. There were still no working samples of the format to be had, as BDA representatives admitted the launch had now slipped to spring 2016.
On the plus side, Samsung offered an early look at its UBD-K8500 4K BD player, a plastic sliver clearly intended for mass production.
Simultaneously, Panasonic, an early advocate of the format, took a bit of a step back at the show, saying it wouldn’t be first to market with UHD BD.
Technics GM Tatsuya Itani told me that the original idea was to produce an update on its legendary SL-1200 model, but it proved impossible to source the necessary components. So instead he decided to redesign the turntable from the ground up. The project will come to market in 2016.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AES67
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AES67
AES67 is a standard for audio-over-IP interoperability. The standard was developed by the Audio Engineering Society and published in September 2013.[1][2][3][4][5] It is a layer 3 protocol suite based on existing standards and is designed to allow interoperability between various IP-based audio networking systems such as RAVENNA, Livewire, Q-LAN and Dante. It also identifies commonalities with Audio Video Bridging (AVB) and documents AVB interoperability scenarios.[6][7]
The standard has been implemented by Axia,[8] Wheatstone,[9] Riedel[10] and ALC NetworX[11] and is supported by RAVENNA-enabled devices under its AES67 Operational Profile.[12] Audinate,[13][14][15][16][17] QSC,[18][19] Archwave,[20] Digigram[21] and Wheatstone[22] have announced plans to implement the standard.
AES67-2013: AES standard for audio applications of networks – High-performance streaming audio-over-IP interoperability
http://www.aes.org/publications/standards/search.cfm?docID=96
Tomi Engdahl says:
Canon Develops Record-Setting 250 Megapixel Sensor
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1327661&
Canon has developed an image sensor array with the highest number of pixels in a CMOS sensor smaller than the size of a 35 mm full-frame sensor, the company has claimed.
The array of 19,580 by 12,600 pixels is contained on a CMOS chip measuring 29.2mm by 20.2mm. Such is the resolution of the sensor that it is able to distinguish lettering on the side of an airplane flying at a distance of approximately 18km.
This may give an indication of the applications of the sensor which is likely to in military and security cameras, measuring instruments and industrial uses and for still images rather than video.
The readout speed of the image sensor array is 1.25 billion pixels per second
The image resolution is 125 times that of full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) video and approximately 30 times that of 4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixels) video.
http://www.electronics-eetimes.com/en/canon-develops-record-setting-250mpixel-sensor.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=222925993&vID=44
Tomi Engdahl says:
The New Apple TV Is a Glimmer of Hope, Not a Revolution
http://www.wired.com/2015/09/new-apple-tv-glimmer-hope-not-revolution/
TV is troubled these days. Not the content—we’re in the midst of a Cambrian explosion of excellent programming—but the process by which we discover, find, and consume it. Apple CEO Tim Cook said as much yesterday during the company’s big event in San Francisco. “The TV experience has been virtually standing still,” he proclaimed, while innovation flourishes in the mobile space.
The new Apple TV is Apple’s attempt to square those two facts. With all of its new features—tvOS, Siri, the tiny remote with the tinier trackpad—comes the slightest glimmer of a better future for smart television, one free of the UI problems we’ve seen thus far.
Among the many issues plaguing smart TVs is their sheer complexity.
TV is satisfying because you get more out of it than you put into it—all you do is turn it on—but watching smart TV doesn’t feel intuitive and intelligent. You spend too much time scrolling through a wall of icons, deciding first where you want to go and only then deciding what you want to watch. Turning on a smart TVs is like idling in a digital Blockbuster store, forever evaluating the pros and cons of every show or movie in sight.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple iPhone 6S: Same phone, another day, but TOTALLY DIFFERENT
Force your fingers deeper into your friends with new pressure sensors
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/09/09/iphone_6s_6s_plus/
So here are the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus – basically the same phones with a few new bits and bobs.
Or as CEO Tim Cook downplayed it: “We have changed everything.”
The new mobes look virtually identical to the 2014 iPhone 6 and 6 Plus smartphones. Same size screen, resolution and casing, pretty much (the 6 versus the 6S, and the 6 Plus versus the 6S Plus.)
The new iThings also offer identical 16, 64, and 128GB capacities, and prices ranging from $199–$399 for the 6S and $299–$499 for the 5.5-inch 6S Plus.
Where the 6S will differ is under the hood, where Apple has promised beefier chips and a better camera. The 6S will use the new 64-bit ARMv8-compatible A9 processor (a 14nm system-on-chip from Samsung and TSMC) and M9 motion controller. The 6S also sports improved LTE speeds (depending on your carrier) and faster Wi-Fi connections.
The camera is perhaps the biggest selling point of the 6S over last year’s models. The new handset will be able to capture 4K video through a 12Mp camera capable of taking larger-resolution images
a new “Live Photos” option that captures images 1.5 seconds before and after you press the button
We guess the camera app is constantly and silently taking photos so it can capture the 1.5s of images before the button is pressed. Good luck with all this, 16GB iPhone owners.
Should people want to make extensive use of those high-res photo and video options, they might want to spring for one of the higher-capacity configurations. 4K video and 12Mp images take up considerably more storage space than you may be used to.
Also touted with the 6S was the introduction of “3D Touch,” a new gesture system capable of recognizing how much force one applies to the screen and the duration of a touch.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Simon Khalaf / Flurry Insights Blog:
Time spent inside mobile apps has exceeded that of time spent watching TV in the US for the first time
The Cable Industry Faces The Perfect Storm: Apps, App Stores and Apple
http://flurrymobile.tumblr.com/post/128773968605/the-cable-industry-faces-the-perfect-storm-apps
On the 3rd of September, 2015, Benedict Evans, a veteran mobile industry analyst turned venture capitalist, tweeted a chart showing how traditional TV is losing its share of screen to smartphones and tablets. While Mr. Evans’ chart was not the first chart to alarm the cable industry, its timing was particularly interesting, as it came exactly a week before Apple’s major update of its Apple TV hardware. In fact, many financial and industry analysts have predicted the demise of the cable industry since rumors of a new Apple TV hardware or an Apple over-the-top streaming service emerged earlier this year.
After yesterday’s announcement, it turns out fears surrounding the long-term prospects of the cable industry were well warranted. We believe that the industry is facing a perfect storm: Apps, App Stores and Apple.
Apps Are Gaining Ground
After putting the desktop web in their rear view mirror, apps now reign supreme as the top media channel in the United States, even without the help of the mobile browser. For the first time ever, time spent inside mobile applications by the average US consumer has exceeded that of TV.
And they are paying handsomely. This year, it’s estimated that revenues from in-app purchases will exceed advertising revenues for the first time. In 2014, App stores generated $21B USD in sales on a worldwide basis, while the mobile ads industry generated $23B USD during the same time. This year, we expect in-app purchases to exceed $33B USD and the ads industry (excluding search) is expected to generate $31B USD.
As shown on the chart above, the average US consumer is spending 198 minutes per day inside apps compared to 168 minutes on TV. Please note that the 198 minutes per day spent inside apps on smartphones and tablets don’t include time spent in the mobile browser.
It is hard for us to quantify how much of that time spent in apps overlaps with time spent on TV, as the second screen phenomena is clearly prevalent especially among generations Y and Z. So, while time-spent on TV hasn’t decreased, it is hard to say how much of that time is actual watching, versus having background noise to the plethora of apps being actively consumed on mobile devices. In the media industry, time-spent is the ultimate metric and if we simply look at the chart above, there is no point for analysts to debate the long term prospects of the cable industry.They’re better off debating its short-term prospects.
App Users Pay For Content
Since its launch in 2008 and until this year, the Apple App Store and its Android counterpart’s top grossing charts have been dominated by the gaming industry. But this year, many media & entertainment apps such as Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, Spotify and Pandora have ranked well in the top grossing charts and have ended the gaming industry’s de-facto monopoly on the App Store’s revenues. This demonstrates that the mobile consumer has been trained to pay for content.
This impressive growth in sales can easily encourage traditional media companies to move its content to apps and stream it over-the-top, charge consumers for it through the App Stores, and still make money from ads.
Here Comes the … New and Improved Apple TV
While Apple didn’t announce its much anticipated TV service (the cable killer) yesterday, it sent a warning shot at the cable industry in particular and the the media industry in general.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Wildest, Most Futuristic Tech From Canon’s Photo Expo
http://www.wired.com/2015/09/wildest-futuristic-tech-canons-photo-expo/
In a perfect world, CES would be more like the Canon Expo. Once every five years, Canon takes the most mind-boggling moonshot products from its R&D labs—both functional prototypes and new devices that are actually for sale—and brings them on a four-city tour. Paris, Shanghai, Tokyo—and this past week, Canon Expo 2015 hit Manhattan.
The event is distilled down to the most futuristic things Canon has in the works. There are 250-megapixel imaging sensors, 8K surround-view movie theaters, cameras that record detailed color video in the pitch-black darkness, and inkjet printers the size of three-bedroom apartments. And it’s all under one roof. You’re walking around in a sci-fi movie, except everything around you is a functional piece of technology.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple “Re-Invents” Nokia Living Images as Live Photos
http://geekongadgets.com/2015/09/10/apple-re-invents-nokia-living-images-as-live-photos/
With Apple’s iPhone 6S event yesterday, they also announced a “new” feature called “Live Photos”, those familiar with Lumia phones will find this feature direct rip-off of Nokia’s Living Images. The concept revolves around simply capturing a second or two of video before the image, allowing you to capture the scene behind the photo
Of course Apple have taken Nokia’s concept a bit further and allowed users to view their Live Photos anywhere, not just in the gallery app
Apple’s Live Photos Take Up About 2x Space of Normal Images
http://www.macrumors.com/2015/09/11/live-photos-twice-space/
One of the novel new features coming in the iPhone 6s is the new Live Photos feature which captures an additional 3 seconds of video surrounding photos on the new iPhones. The new feature is on by default and allows you to take photos as usual.
Live Photos will be viewable on existing iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple Watch devices with the latest operating systems. Apple is also opening up the API for developers to support the new format in their own apps. Facebook has already committed to supporting Live Photos in their iOS app later this year.
While few details about the new image format has been released, TechCrunch’s Matthew Panzarino reveals in a video that the new format will take up approximate twice the space of a normal 12MP photo.
Meanwhile, @DanMatte reveals that the new Live Photos format is a bundle of images based on the JPEG file format, allowing them to be easily sent as a still image to devices that don’t support Live Photo. Apple’s developer documents indicate that you can share the image as a regular JPEG if desired.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Each smart phone has a camera, but it is not enough. Soon, every new vehicle is equipped with multiple cameras. This bodes well for a camera module manufacturers. In 2020, the cameras are sold globally to 51 billion dollars.
Yole Développement, the modules market will grow 2.5-fold over the next five years. In 2020, for example, cameras, lenses sold 7.5 billion dollars, a CMOS-based image sensors 15.5 billion and prepared modules of 22.5 billion dollars.
According to Yole the automotive industry over the next year will be the second largest beneficiary of the cameras after the mobile phone manufacturers.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3317:kameroita-51-miljardilla&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
4K Video Drives Up LPDDR4 Densities
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1327677&
Samsung is now producing what the company said is the industry’s first 12Gb LPDDR4 mobile DRAM using its 20-nm process technology.
“It’s interesting that Samsung used the LPDDR4 to introduce the next density,” observed Objective Analysis principal analyst Jim Handy in an email interview with EE Times. “Companies usually start with a higher-density standard DRAM, then chop it down to make one of these ‘between sizes’ of LPDDR. This time Samsung reversed that approach.”
He said a higher-density chip also means devices can reduce their chip count, and that means that the battery will last longer. “That should make this chip pretty popular.”
There are a few reasons Samsung opted to go the LPDDR4 route first with this density, and although extending battery power is important, it’s not at the top of the list
He said the flagship smartphones that are launching today are now processing 4K video, which is demanding more powerful memory. At the same time, users are expecting a slimmer phones with long battery life. “With PCs and servers you have a lot more room to play with,” he said. “High density die is more important in mobile.”
Most video today is 30 frames-per-second, noted Lum, in the near future we could see 60fps, which would put additional pressure on memory.
LPDDR4 does make sense for a great deal of other devices because of its low power consumption but not all of them need the density of Samsung’s latest chip. Lum said smartwatches don’t require it yet, but their needs will increase as they become even smarter. Similarly, LPDDR4 makes a lot of sense for Internet of Things devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Head Gesture Tracking Helps Limited Mobility Students
http://hackaday.com/2015/09/14/head-gesture-tracking-helps-limited-mobility-students/
There is a lot of helpful technology for people with mobility issues. Even something that can help people do something most of us wouldn’t think twice about, like turn on a lamp or control a computer, can make a world of difference to someone who can’t move around as easily. Luckily, [Matt] has been working on using webcams and depth cameras to allow someone to do just that.
[Matt] found that using webcams instead of depth cameras (like the Kinect) tends to be less obtrusive but are limited in their ability to distinguish individual users and, of course, don’t have the same 3D capability. With either technology, though, the software implementation is similar. The camera can detect head motion and control software accordingly by emulating keystrokes. The depth cameras are a little more user-friendly, though, and allow users to move in whichever way feels comfortable for them.
Head Gesture – controlling software with head motion
https://sites.google.com/site/hardwaremonkey/home/headgesture
Tomi Engdahl says:
Juli Clover / MacRumors:
VLC and Plex Apps Coming to New Apple TV — Apple’s latest fourth-generation Apple TV includes a dedicated App Store, which will allow users to access many apps and features that were not previously available on the older Apple TV. Popular media streaming apps Plex and VLC, for example …
VLC and Plex Apps Coming to New Apple TV
http://www.macrumors.com/2015/09/14/plex-vlc-new-apple-tv/
Apple’s latest fourth-generation Apple TV includes a dedicated App Store, which will allow users to access many apps and features that were not previously available on the older Apple TV. Popular media streaming apps Plex and VLC, for example, are both coming to the Apple TV, with tvOS versions already in the works.
The developers behind VLC announced their work on a tvOS app this morning, though few details have been given. “Some code to build VLCKit for the new tvOS was merged,” reads a blog post. “It’s very early though, but we have video playback!”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Juniper sees 30m virtual reality headsets shifted by 2020, as China lifts ban
Rise in VR mirrors rise in online adult viewing. An opportunity?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/09/16/juniper_reckons_30_million_virtual_reality_headsets_will_be_shifted_by_2020/
Crystal ball gazers at Juniper have looked far into the future and seen that by 2020 some 30 million virtual reality headsets will be shifted globally.
Hardware retail revenue from VR headset sales will exceed $4bn (£3bn) by 2020, it said. According to the analyst house the “watershed year” for the virtual reality will be 2016, with three million shipments expected.
Oculus, Sony, and HTC are all expected to launch key VR products over the next 12 months.
According to Bhas, the tech will not just be the preserve of couch potatoes, but will be further used in military training, medical and nuclear facilities, as consumer mass production makes the tech cheaper.
He said: “The market just begun to flourish. The driving focus is on consumer side. But we believe the market will then expand.”
Juniper has previously predicted that by 2020 everyone on the planet will on average watch at least 200 porn videos annually, with that industry worth $5.6bn (£3.6bn) by 2019.
Tomi Engdahl says:
UHD everywhere … but it’s not quite ready to drink, yet
Audio adventures, growing pains, and pirates ahoy at Euro broadcasting show
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/09/16/ibc2015_roundup_uhd_audio_piracy/
IBC 2015 The annual gathering of the broadcast clans takes place in Amsterdam each September. At this year’s International Broadcasting Convention, just as at IFA a week before there was UHD everywhere. But here, the focus is on production and distribution, not watching.
While 4K – and the HEVC codec – are undoubtedly everywhere, there’s lots more going on, including demos of the latest tech, a conference with presentations on research that will shape the future of TV, and lots, lots more.
One of the most important lessons is that when it comes to 4K, there’s still a lot to sort out. While the big TV manufacturers may want you to splash out on a new set, and will be pushing HDR as hard as they can, on the production side of things, there’s still no agreement on what sort of HDR there’ll be.
Standards body DVB have a spec, known as UHD–1 Phase 1, which supports up to 2160p60 (2160 lines, 60 frames per second), with the potential for a wider range of colours too.
But those HDR displays everyone’s talking about? Don’t expect a standard for delivering HDR to consumers until next year, with services likely in 2017. If it’s high frame rates you want, you need to wait for UHD–1 Phase 2, which will support up to 120 frames per second. That won’t be here until 2019, because of the improvements to chipsets that will be necessary.
DVB isn’t the only body involved in standards, of course. The Ultra HD Alliance also wants to certify both devices and content, to ensure people get the best possible experience.
Just as with 3D, the DTG’s Simon Gauntlett told me, before long you’ll probably be buying sets with a 4K display whether you choose to or not. So the group’s UK UHD Forum has already been running ‘plugfests’ to look at compatibility issues.
Right now, that’s not always a pretty sight. Many TVs, for example, have differing capabilities on different HDMI ports. And will we even be using HDMI for our Ultra HD? How about DisplayPort, or latecomer to the party superMHL?
Sounding off
Of course, IBC isn’t all just about the pictures. Last year I looked at DTS and its object based audio systems, which now include all the tools for a complete end to end production chain. The audio format – MDA, or multi-dimensional audio – is licence free and it told me it aims to be an “object equivalent of PCM”.
DTS and Dolby aren’t the only people in the object audio game, either. Fraunhofer is working on MPEG-H audio; the same people who created many other MPEG audio standards, and MPEG-H audio provides traditional stereo and surround, and well as audio objects, which will enable mixing in the home, or selecting specific tracks, like commentary or team coaches, just like the in DTS demo last year.
“But can’t it all be done over the internet?”
That’s one of the things that Akamai is working on, and it showed an impressive demo using a hybrid streaming system that combines UDP with HTTP, plus some ‘secret sauce,’ the fruits of their acquisition of Octoshape.
In the brief demo I had, it certainly managed to get an impressive amount of data to the streaming client. Standard HTTP streaming pulled down 5MB of data in sixteen seconds, while the hybrid solution doubled that in a quarter of the time.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple TV games must use the remote — no controller-only games allowed
http://venturebeat.com/2015/09/15/apple-tv-games-must-use-the-remote-no-controller-only-games-allowed/
If you were thinking that Apple TV could steal triple-A gaming away from consoles, you might want to think again.
Apple TV games must work with the standard remote for the platform, which includes a clickable touch-sensitive surface with gyroscopre controls, discovered by a developer as reported on Touch Arcade. This means that designer can’t make games for the Apple TV that require the use of MFi controllers that include more standard configurations like buttons and analog sticks — unless they also support the box’s remote.
It’s a sign that while Apple hopes to replicate the success of its mobile gaming business on Apple TV with casual games, it’s not interested in going into direct competition with Sony or Microsoft. The mobile market, which supports external controllers but largely appeals to players who use touchscreens, could be worth $30 billion in 2015, according to market research firm Newzoo.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lauren Goode / The Verge:
Amazon announces updated Fire TV with Alexa and 4K support for $100, Fire TV Stick and voice remote bundle for $50, all shipping in October — Amazon’s answer to Apple TV: a Fire TV box with Alexa and 4K video support — Last week Apple sucked up most of the air in the tech press with its newest gadgets …
Amazon’s answer to Apple TV: a Fire TV box with Alexa and 4K video support
http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/17/9340431/new-amazon-fire-tv-update-price-release-date
Last week Apple sucked up most of the air in the tech press with its newest gadgets, which included a long-awaited, new Apple TV. This week, Amazon has some TV box news of its own.
The e-commerce giant just announced a variety of updates to its Fire TV product line. The newest Fire TV set-top box, a flat, plastic box that plugs into your TV and offers a variety of internet video content, now supports 4K Ultra HD video, a claim that Apple can’t make with its own set-top box. (You’ll have to be watching 4K content, on a 4K TV, to really reap the benefits of this, but at least the option is there.)
Amazon has also brought “Alexa,” the popular cloud-based assistant found in the enigmatic Echo speaker, to the Fire TV through its voice-enabled remote control. Amazon previously supported voice search in its Fire TV remotes, but it didn’t include Alexa.
Tomi Engdahl says:
iTVMediaCenter: Scam or Brilliance?
http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/itvmediacenter-scam-or-brilliance
The folks at iTVMediaCenter recently contacted me about their one-stop-shop solution for cord-cutters. For $14.99, they sell a program that consolidates tons of on-line media into a central location so you can watch it on demand. The problem is, it looks like the application does little more than open the same Web sites you can open with a browser. Also, the “one-time fee” is rumored to be an annual fee.
Although the application is seemingly a bust, the Web site is free, and it does a decent job of linking to dozens and dozens of on-line streaming sites. If you’re looking for some free on-line media, but don’t know where to begin, go to http://itvmediacenter.com and check out the on-line offerings.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hacking a Pi Camera with a Nikon Lens
http://hackaday.com/2015/09/19/hacking-a-pi-camera-with-a-nikon-lens/
Cell phones have killed many industries. It is getting harder and harder to justify buying an ordinary watch, a calculator, or a day planner because your phone does all those things at least as well as the originals. Cell phones have cameras too, so the days of missing a shot because you don’t have a camera with you are over
The Raspberry Pi camera is about on par with a cheap cell phone camera. [Martijn Braam] has a Nikon camera, and he noticed that he could get a Raspberry Pi camera with a C-mount for lenses. He picked up a C to F adapter and proceeded to experiment with Nikon DSLR lenses on the Raspberry Pi camera.
You’d think the pictures would be great, right? They are good, but [Martijn] found that the Pi’s sensor actually compensates for color effects found in the little cheap lenses it would usually have.
Using a Mobile Phone Camera Sensor with a Nikon F DSLR Lens
http://petapixel.com/2015/09/14/using-a-mobile-phone-camera-sensor-with-a-nikon-f-lens/
Tomi Engdahl says:
I Bought a Fake Nikon DSLR: My Experience with Gray Market Imports
http://petapixel.com/2015/08/14/i-bought-a-fake-nikon-dslr-my-experience-with-gray-market-imports/
So, the Nikon D7000 I bought, brand new in early 2014, is a fake. Unbeknownst to me until very recently, of course. Let’s start at the beginning — it being the most logical and traditional place to start.
I settled upon a D7000 and, in February 2014, made a purchase from an online retailer who deals specifically with those mysterious and opinion-stirring items: The Gray Market Import.
After an unbearable few weeks of waiting, my brand new pride-and-joy arrived, and I couldn’t have been happier.
Fast forward 13 or 14 months and I noticed a focus problem slowly creeping it’s way into my shots; a seemingly common issue on the D7000. Fair enough. After an arduous AF fine-tuning process (to tell the truth, after TWO arduous fine-tuning processes, the second of which I was walked through by Nikon’s fantastic customer service center), I was still not happy with the results, so I reluctantly sent the camera off to Nikon for repair… and awaited the bill.
Then came a phone call from Nikon’s service center.
“Hi there, we’ve just been looking at the camera you sent us for repair… and, I don’t know if you were aware of this, but it’s… well, it’s actually a fake…”
No. I was not aware of this.
“Yeah, we’ve checked it over and plugged it into our system and… it’s not genuine. It’s fake. The serial number on the body doesn’t match up with the internal serial number.”
Obviously as it wasn’t a genuine product, they weren’t going to touch it with a barge pole, and could only return it to me – free of charge, as a good will gesture. I think they felt sorry for me to be honest.
I was immediately on the phone to the retailer I’d purchased it from and explained the situation. I was met with entirely what I suspected I would be, which was immediate denial and disbelief. After the unsuspecting staff member who’d answered the phone had consulted with his manager, we came to an arrangement whereby they would simply offer me a replacement product, no questions asked, providing I posted the suspect D7000 off to them
They used the word “fake” but that’s not to mean it was constructed of cheap knock-off parts or a D3000 dressed up as a 7000. It was a D7000, but for whatever reason, the number had been altered.
At the end of this whole experience, I was left questioning whether buying a gray import was worth it.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Stephen Hall / 9to5Google:
Sources: Google to announce Chromecast Audio device to plug in to speakers September 29 — Exclusive: Chromecast Audio, codenamed ‘Hendrix,’ is a separate device & made to WiFi-enable your speakers — We told you earlier today about the 2nd generation Chromecast, scheduled to be launched later this month.
Exclusive: Chromecast Audio, codenamed ‘Hendrix,’ is a separate device & made to WiFi-enable your speakers
http://9to5google.com/2015/09/18/exclusive-chromecast-audio-codenamed-hendrix-is-a-separate-piece-of-hardware-made-to-wifi-enable-speakers/
We told you earlier today about the 2nd generation Chromecast, scheduled to be launched later this month. We also mentioned that Google is planning to launch something called “Chromecast Audio,” although details were unclear until now. Thanks to several sources familiar with Google’s plans, 9to5Google has learned that Chromecast Audio is indeed a second Chromecast device targeted specifically at WiFi-enabling the speakers in your home, launching alongside the 2nd generation device…
Not to be confused with Google Cast for Audio, which is Google’s platform for making speakers and other audio hardware directly compatible with the Chromecast, “Chromecast Audio” is a second Chromecast scheduled to be made official at Google’s September 29th event alongside many other announcements.
For those who think the concept sounds familiar: It does. Motorola introduced a device last summer called Motorola Stream that does mostly the same thing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Martin Beck / Marketing Land:
Periscope launches web profiles with recent videos, followers and following details, and total hearts received
Periscope Adds Profile Pages For The Web
Twitter-owned video streaming app gives broadcasters a landing page for the desktop.
http://marketingland.com/periscope-adds-profile-pages-for-the-web-143180
Periscope today launched Web profiles to give its broadcasters a beachhead on the desktop.
Born in March as a mobile video live-streaming app, the Twitter-owned network has steadily added features for people stuck in the office or just partial to computers. In June, it gave people the ability to watch replays on the desktop, and although you need to use the iOS or Android app to access all the network’s features (you can’t comment from the Web), today’s update should be a welcome one for streamers and viewers alike.
On its Medium page, Periscope promised more Web improvements to come:
“We think it’s really important for broadcasters to have a home on the Web, and today’s launch is just the beginning.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
The BBC’s new effort: My “Netflix”
British Broadcasting Corporation BBC to launch based on its own production Netflix-like subscription service next year in the United States.
The BBC is seeking with a Web service more than £ 30 million in annual revenue from the US market, the Financial Times wrote.
The new service would bring the British actors, the program-makers and the British culture directly to Americans.
The company’s goal is to increase commercial services, despite a 15 percent annual rate that was the best source of revenue, sales of DVDs, is declining.
Source: http://www.itviikko.fi/uutiset/2015/09/18/bbcn-uusi-ponnistus-oma-netflix/201512143/7?rss=8
More:
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/8e786300-5d56-11e5-97e9-7f0bf5e7177b.html#axzz3m4A86RwB
Tomi Engdahl says:
Interesting historic story:
How Cartrivision’s 1972 VCR Foresaw—And Forfeited—The Time-Shifted Future
http://www.fastcompany.com/3050535/how-cartrivisions-1972-vcr-foresaw-and-forfeited-the-time-shifted-future
Before VHS vs. Betamax, a Silicon Valley startup brought the VCR and home-movie rentals and purchases to Americans. And it failed big time.
Tomi Engdahl says:
EyeEm wants its new EyeVision algorithm to be the Google of photography
http://thenextweb.com/creativity/2015/09/18/eyeem-wants-its-new-eyevision-algorithm-to-be-the-google-of-photography/
EyeEm, the social photo-sharing community and marketplace, has unveiled a clever new technology that lets photographers upload their images and run them through an algorithm for instant keywording and aesthetic ranking.
The tool, called EyeVision, is a sweeping update to EyeEm’s aesthetic algorithm and is packaged with a new Web uploader that is being made available today to the company’s Market members — photographers who sell their photos through the service.
EyeVision’s simple interface allows you to drag and drop images from your desktop into the Web engine, which almost immediately spits out the resulting rank and suggested tags.
EyeVision’s ranking technology finds a photo’s beauty, composition and quality while the ranking engine makes each one automatically searchable. “We’re doing for visual imagery what Google does for Websites. That’s the vision we’re working towards,” Rizk says.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Aereo’s Heir: Simple.tv to Launch New Cloud DVR Called ShowDrive (Exclusive)
http://variety.com/2015/digital/news/aereos-heir-simple-tv-to-launch-new-cloud-dvr-called-showdrive-exclusive-1201598770/
Aereo may be dead, but that doesn’t stop a number of startups trying to reinvent the DVR for the Netflix age. One of them is Simple.tv, which is about to unveil a major change in direction with the launch of a new cloud DVR.
ShowDrive, as the new product is being called, will allow consumers to store up to a thousand hours of broadcast TV recordings in the cloud, and then stream those recorded shows and movies to internet-connected TVs, streaming boxes and mobile devices. If successful, ShowDrive could give cord cutting another boost — and unlike Aereo, there’s little broadcasters can do about it, since ShowDrive is based on technology with a strong legal precedent.
ShowDrive will first debut in the U.K., where the company is about to start a beta test with a still-unannounced consumer electronics manufacturer in the coming weeks. British TV viewers will be able to buy a dedicated ShowDrive Freeview box that will allow them to tap into the country’s digital terrestrial broadcast system to watch and record shows from networks like BBC, ITV and Channel 4.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Alex Kantrowitz / BuzzFeed:
Periscope, conceived in Turkey, is taking off there as a reaction to ineffective mainstream media
Inside Periscope’s Deep Bond With Turkey (The Country)
A live-streaming app and a country tied together from the beginning
http://www.buzzfeed.com/alexkantrowitz/why-periscope-is-going-wild-in-turkey#.blRk4XMZD
Open up Twitter’s live-streaming app Periscope and you’ll quickly find yourself hopping in and out of life all over the globe. One tap, and you’re in a living room in Kansas City, where the latest Republican debate is on. Another, and you’re on campus at a Russian university, watching students pass by on the way to class. One more takes you into the streets of Santiago, Chile, where residents have flooded the streets immediately following an earthquake.
On a map Periscope built as a portal into these active streams, two countries consistently show up with very big numbers. The first, understandably, is the United States of America, the home of Periscope, and a country with a large, connected population. The second, perhaps surprisingly, is Turkey — which, even at 3 a.m. Istanbul time, when this story is being written, is still buzzing with activity, with more streams broadcasting live than any country outside the U.S.
Tomi Engdahl says:
WiGig Solution: Enabling Wire-free and Cable-free User Experiences
http://www.eeweb.com/company-blog/socionext/wigig-solution-enabling-wire-and-cable-free-user-experiences/
Socionext offers a next generation super hi-speed Wi-Fi 802.11ad module that can transfer up to 1.7Gbps and is capable of 4K video streaming over Wi-Fi. It is world’s smallest module and includes an RF chip, baseband chip and antenna, with support for the USB 3.0 interface. The module can be used in all applications requiring huge data transfer wirelessly.
This super high-speed Wi-Fi: 802.11ad allows devices to communicate wire- and cable-free at much faster speeds than today’s wireless rates. WiGig operates at 60GHz, a much higher frequency band and supports multi-gigabit data rate transfer.
Uses for the new WiGig technology include instant wireless sync and backup between devices, and also streaming of UHD 4K video.
Applications
File exchange (movies & photos)
Mobile – computer file synchronization
Distribution of ads
Content shopping
http://www.eeweb.com/images/pdfs/WiGig_fact_sheet.pdf
Tomi Engdahl says:
½-in. free-field mic minimizes overloading
http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4440382/-in–free-field-mic-minimizes-overloading?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_productsandtools_20150921&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_productsandtools_20150921&elq=c33269e774bf4cdc87a78244c14edc43&elqCampaignId=24856&elqaid=28195&elqat=1&elqTrackId=7be7acc6a6154728a9f7a32818f35c15
The Model 377A06 ½-in. free-field microphone from PCB Piezotronics provides an accurate (flat) response for measuring frequencies up to 40 kHz. With a sensitivity of 12.5 mV/Pa, the 377A06 avoids an overload that can be experienced when a standard high-sensitivity (50-mV/Pa) microphone measures over 136 dB or above 20 kHz. According to the manufacturer, the 377A06 is a cost-effective alternative to a ¼-in. microphone and preamplifier combination, and it has lower inherent noise.
The high-amplitude, high-frequency microphone can be used for such applications as environmental monitoring, railway testing for horns above 140 dB, and sonic boom measurements. In addition to being able to measure to 40 kHz (±3 dB), the Model 377A06 provides a 3% distortion rating to 160 dB and maintains a 21-dBa noise floor.
The Model 377A06 costs $750 and is available from stock.
http://www.pcb.com/Products.aspx?m=377A06
Tomi Engdahl says:
Set-top-box SoC packs WiFi and HDR support
http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4440344/Set-top-box-SoC-packs-WiFi-and-HDR-support?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_productsandtools_20150921&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_productsandtools_20150921&elq=c33269e774bf4cdc87a78244c14edc43&elqCampaignId=24856&elqaid=28195&elqat=1&elqTrackId=40dea43f7ad541b885f66ef78550efa8
With its integrated Quantenna WiFi IP and support for HDR (high dynamic range) content decode and display, the STiH390 SoC from STMicoelectronics enables large-scale deployment of affordable WiFi IP clients and interactive set-top boxes. The carrier-grade, fully-offloaded Wi-Fi MAC supports 802.11a/b/g/n/ac wave 2 and up to 4×4 MIMO to allow full HD video streaming throughout the home.
The STiH390 is powered by a multicore ARM CPU that executes 6000 Dhrystone MIPS. It also employs an ARM Mali 400 GPU for fluid 3-D user interfacing and gaming, as well as a Faroudja post-processing video transcode engine capable of handling Blu-ray HDR10 content. In addition, the device provides 10-bit high-efficiency video coding, reducing memory bandwidth for video distribution.
http://www.st.com/web/en/catalog/mmc/FM131/CL2184/SC2058/PF261660
Tomi Engdahl says:
Piracy vs. a legitimate service: 9-1
I watched Finnish film.
Although the class meeting, humor does not actually hit not completely finish the laughter of nerves thrill consisted of viewing it attempted in real life a farce. I very occasionally Elisa Entertainment service, which can, amongst other features to rent movies. STB renting requires a four-digit pin code to remember. Used a couple of times a year to a four-digit pin code is not quite yet been taken up permanent memory, so it should always go individually look at Elisa’s Web site.
I signed up for the service with a new, directly attached to the TV’s HDMI interface, Model stick on the PC. As long as I was the first service redeemed forgotten password with bank code authentication.
The film found among the selections but I needed the code. But no worries, the necessary code was now viewed that Elisa’s Web site. Except that people had to exit the movie menu elsewhere, and enter the user name and password again.
Changed the code. Except that. Changing the PIN code does now and then for some reason declined all – it did not change – so use old one.
Except that watching was not possible. The new machine is not found Microsoft’s Silverlight plug-in. The Installing fortunately did not require many mouse clicks more.
For some reason, the computer having tried all other video services yes revolve around nicely, was unable to show the film.
I sighed deeply, and the switch current known tangled set-top box – had to pay my rent for another day.
Skull ticket below
Pirate with services can not really compete on price. Perhaps the usability of the service, however, could. At the moment, the situation will go 9-1 if the hassles described above compares, say, to one of the popular movies torrent technology, providing a pirated application.
With their own future movie renting I ended up with so-called. a final settlement.:I wrote pin marker to a piece of tape, and glued it directly on top of the STB.
Source: http://www.tivi.fi/blogit/piratismi-vs-laillinen-palvelu-9-1-3484308
Tomi Engdahl says:
More people have died from selfies than shark attacks this year
http://mashable.com/2015/09/21/selfie-deaths/#KubA4uSeukkG
A 66-year-old Japanese tourist has died, and his travel companion has been injured, after falling down stairs while attempting to take a selfie at the Taj Mahal.
The man’s death raises the selfie toll this year — to 12. To put that in perspective, in 2015 there have so far been eight deaths caused by shark attacks.
It sounds like a joke, but unfortunately it isn’t: The deaths are a tragic reminder to travelers that focusing on a phone screen instead of unfamiliar surroundings is not safe.
With no idea how far some people will go for a great selfie, many landmarks have begun banning selfies — or at least selfie sticks. In July, the Russian Interior Ministry released a brochure, warning about cool selfies that “could cost you your life.” Selfie-takers are urged to take precaution with weapons, ledges, dangerous animals, trains and live wires.
Tomi Engdahl says:
HDCP 2.2: What you need to know
http://www.cnet.com/news/hdcp-2-2-what-you-need-to-know/
HDCP 2.2 is the next generation of copy protection for the 4K era, and it likely won’t work with any of your current gear. Here’s what you need to know.
Thought all you needed to get a 4K TV working is HDMI 2.0? Guess again. The next generation of content protection is called HDCP 2.2, and not only is it not backwards compatible, many new 4K devices don’t even support it.
So it’s possible that the 4K TV you bought last year, or even the receiver you buy this year, might not be able to receive/pass all future 4K content.
Sound crazy? Sadly, it’s not. Here’s the skinny.
Copy protection/content protection has been around since the VHS era
HDCP 2.2 is the latest evolution of copy protection. It’s designed to create a secure connection between a source and a display. Ostensibly this is so you can’t take the output from a source (a Blu-ray player, say) and plug it into some kind of recorder, to make a copy of the content. DRM, the encryption of the content itself, is a separate issue. HDCP doesn’t care what goes across the cable, as long as that cable is secure.
It does this by creating encrypted keys between the source and the display (called the sink). Enabled repeaters, like receivers, can be in the chain as well. The source and the sink need to be in agreement, understanding their keys, or no content gets transferred. If you’ve ever hooked up gear and gotten a blank screen (or turned on gear in the wrong order and gotten a blank screen), this HDCP “handshake” is usually the issue.
HDCP isn’t solely over HDMI. It can be implemented to work over DVI, DisplayPort, USB, and more.
So what’s new? The encryption on the keys in version 2.2 is more advanced than previous versions which, in theory, makes the whole chain harder to break. One other interesting change with 2.2 is a “locality check.” The source sends a signal to the sink, and if the sink doesn’t get that signal within 20ms, the source kills the connection.
You don’t need to ditch your gear just yet. HDCP 2.2 is essentially about UltraHD 4K copy protection. So for now anyone with (or buying) a non-4K 1080p TV doesn’t need to worry. Once we start seeing more widely available 4K content, it will be more of an issue.
Your current gear is not 2.2-upgradable, but that’s probably OK
There’s no firmware upgrade that will get 2.2 working on a non-2.2 product.
You may also “see” HDCP 2.2 in new wireless gear, like those with Miracast or WirelessHD. Since wireless 4K has only recently been announced at all, this isn’t an immediate issue.
The current crop of 4K TVs from Samsung, LG, Panasonic, and Sony, etc. list HDCP 2.2 compliance in their specifications. This is a good sign.
The problem extends throughout the chain. Run your HDMI through a receiver or soundbar? They’ll need to be HDCP 2.2 compliant as well. It’s important to note, there are many receivers shipping this year that have HDMI 2.0, but are not HDCP 2.2 compliant.
Resistance is Futile
In reality, HDCP 2.2 will be broken, just like all its predecessors (including 2.0 and 2.1). Such is the nature of codes and codebreaking. So why bother? To make casual copying difficult, for one, and to appease shareholders on the other. The movie industry is a big, publicly traded, business, and it’s any CEO fiduciary responsibility to do everything they can to make sure their product is as profitable as possible (i.e. not easily stolen).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sony’s new A7R II brings more than just a resolution bump
http://www.engadget.com/2015/09/23/sony-a7r-ii-second-gen/
Sony’s A7 range of full-frame mirrorless cameras has only been around for just under two years and yet there are already six members in the lineup. The company has wasted no time in filling the series with models tuned for different uses — from low-light performance to high-megapixel applications. The A7R II, with its 42.4-megapixel full-frame sensor, certainly falls in that latter category with specs that place it roughly in the same league as heavy hitters from Canon and Nikon.