Here are some audio and video trends for 2018.
Buying headphones in 2018 is going to be a fragmented mess because of a silent goodbye to the 3.5mm audio plug, Majority of new headphones introduced at CES were wireless and there are several different wireless systems. Bluetooth audio has historically sacrificed sound quality for convenience relative to a wired connection. However, there are a couple of standards now that promise “better-than-CD” audio quality. For wired connections where we once had the solid reliability of a 3.5mm analog connector working with any jack shaped to receive it, there’s now a divergence of digital alternatives:Lightning, USB-C, and Sony’s 4.4mm Pentaconn connector.
Voice, connectivity and AI took center stage at the Consumer Electronics Show. Alexa Skills and the Voice Experience is really getting off. With over 15 million Amazon Echo devices shipped and 244 million projected by 2022 it is expected to take lead with Google Home Assistant and Apple Homepod with Siri following. Also Google Assistant was mentioned a lot in CES. Google Sold 6.75 Million ‘Google Home’ Devices In the Last 80 Days. ‘Language assistants were a big topic at this year’s CES. More and more manufacturers like JBL and Creative are integrating smart helpers into their WLAN speakers. Alexa support comes to 2018 TVs from Sony, Hisense and LG. Google launches smart displays with JBL, Lenovo, LG and Sony. There will be also other competitors aiming to this market, for example “China’s Google,” shouted out most loudly for voice. Microsoft’s Cortana had a crappy CES so it seems that Amazon Alexa will soon arrive on Windows PCs (HP, ASUS, Acer and others). Introducing Single-Chip Solutions for Building Alexa-Enabled Products.Sony launches a bunch of new headphones and adds Google Assistant functionality to the line.
Binaural, ambisonic, spatial, surround, 3D will be talked about. The most accessible exhibitions of this technology are in Youtube VR and Facebook 360, where users can interact with 360º videos that contain spatial audio. AR/VR was hot topic at CES 2018.
Sound bars are popular for compact home theater setups. Traditional home cinema systems with AV receivers and large speaker arsenals are only used by film and sound enthusiasts who sacrifice space in the living room for this purpose.
People listen to four hours of audio content every day. Streaming platforms like Spotify take a big bit of that. Streaming accounts for 41% of music consumption was the 2017’s most jaw dropping statistic. People will also listen a lot of music from YouTube.
Acoustics-based NFC is being pushed to market as it requires only a microphone and speaker, eliminating tags and chips. Chirp and LISNR are two emerging companies facilitating soundwave communication.
Wireless headphones and speakers become more common. Portable loudspeakers without cables are more popular than ever with music listeners. Most popular connection technology is Bluetooth.More and more manufacturers are breaking away from the cable and are showing new models and updates of completely wireless in-ear headphones at the CES 2018.
There is a bit of nostalgia involved: Several traditional technology tries to make come-back in 2018. The traditionalists among the music lovers continue to use records, so new record players keep coming. Cassette tapes making a comeback thanks to young, independent artists. Artists like Justin Bieber, Eminem and Metallica have all put out material on tape recently as a recent blockbuster film “Guardians of the Galaxy” put a hero center stage with a Sony Walkman. Tube amplifiers are back for traditionalist audiophiles that think that tubes can make your music to sound better.
4K video resolution is hot and 8K going to be pushed to market. TV has progressed to the 4K ultra-high-definition stage with its 3,840 × 2,160 pixel resolution. LG Display has made a 65-inch rollable 4K OLED TV. LG displayed 8K OLED TV at CES. Samsung has technology scales the image resolution to a 8K with AI. LG, Panasonic, and TCL put the spotlight on the chips that do the video processing: For the foreseeable future, any advances in image quality will be coming from these chips, not from the displays themselves.
Welcome ATSC 3.0 in USA: In November, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued new rules that will let TV broadcasters adopt the next-generation wireless TV standard designated ATSC 3.0. This new standard defines the specifications for ultra-high-definition (UHD) or 4K over-the-air (OTA) digital TV. But over-the-air is minority in USA as roughly 75% of households pay for their TV reception for cable or satellite distribution.
Home theater headsets have come a long way. AR/VR is hot. Oculus partners with Xiaomi to launch the Oculus Go and Mi VR Standalone.
Wired peripherals and electronics are still a major part of the market. Cabling for AV systems will have new features: a new HDMI standard and how active cables will provide both power and video to consumer devices.
3D cameras are hot. HP’s Z 3D Camera puts Sprout’s scanning power on your PC. Intel’s new cameras add human-like 3D vision to any machine.
When almost all AV products are pushing more and more features, it seems that almost Everything is too complicated for an average Joe.
Sources:
https://www.smartbrief.com/original/2018/01/10-audio-marketing-trends-2018
http://www.computerbild.de/artikel/avf-News-Audio-Trends-CES-2018-11264743.html
https://www.marketplace.org/2017/11/22/business/cassette-tapes-make-comeback
http://aeaaudio.com/why-tubes-are-back-and-how-to-get-in-on-it/
https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/coolest-best-audio-gadgets-ces-2018/
https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/18/16903516/headphones-wireless-analog-jack-future-ces-2018
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/alexa-support-comes-to-2018-tvs-from-sony-and-hisense/
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332845
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYhgJlEn880
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/7368-tekoaly-skaalaa-televisiokuvan-8k-tarkkuuteen
https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/6/16859102/lg-display-rollable-oled-65-inch-ces-2018
https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/08/eagle-wearable-home-theater/
http://www.electronicdesign.com/community-home/free-tv-keeps-getting-better-welcome-atsc-30
https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/18/intel-realsense-ready-to-use-depth-cameras/
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/01/hps-z-3d-camera-puts-sprouts-scanning-power-on-your-pc/
841 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
EU fines Asus, Denon & Marantz, Philips and Pioneer $130M for online price fixing
https://techcrunch.com/2018/07/24/eu-fines-asus-denon-marantz-philips-and-pioneer-130m-for-online-price-fixing/?sr_share=facebook&utm_source=tcfbpage
The European Union’s antitrust authorities have issued a series of penalties, fining consumer electronics companies Asus, Denon & Marantz, Philips and Pioneer more than €110 million (~$130M) in four separate decisions for imposing fixed or minimum resale prices on their online retailers in breach of EU competition rules.
It says the four companies engaged in so-called “fixed or minimum resale price maintenance (RPM)”
Asus has been hit with the largest fine (€63.5M), followed by Philips (€29.8M). The other two fines were €10.1M for Pioneer, and €7.7M for Denon & Marantz.
“The online commerce market is growing rapidly and is now worth over 500 billion euros in Europe every year. More than half of Europeans now shop online
Tomi Engdahl says:
U.S. cord cutters to reach 33 million this year, faster than expected
https://techcrunch.com/2018/07/25/u-s-cord-cutters-to-reach-33-million-this-year-faster-than-expected/?sr_share=facebook&utm_source=tcfbpage
The pace of cord cutting in the U.S. is increasing faster than expected, according to a new forecast released this week by eMarketer. The analyst firm is now projecting the number of those ditching their subscriptions to cable and satellite TV will climb 32.8 percent this year to reach 33 million people – a figure that’s higher than the 22 percent growth rate and 27.1 million cord cutters it had estimated around this time last year.
The report points out that partnerships between traditional pay TV companies and over-the-top providers, such as Netflix, haven’t helped to stem the time of cord cutting.
https://www.emarketer.com/content/exodus-from-pay-tv-accelerates-despite-ott-partnerships
Tomi Engdahl says:
Erin Teague / YouTube Blog:
YouTube adds a Watch Together button to its VR app on Daydream View and Samsung Gear VR that lets users watch and discuss videos with others in a virtual space — We love VR at YouTube because it’s a powerful way to see and experience the world. Have you ever wondered what it’s like in the ice caves of Antarctica?
More VR in more places
https://youtube.googleblog.com/2018/07/more-vr-in-more-places.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jared Newman / Fast Company:
Amazon announces Alexa Cast, a new feature that lets users control tracks playing on Alexa-enabled speakers from the Amazon Music app on a phone
With Alexa Cast, Amazon Music now has an answer to Chromecast
https://www.fastcompany.com/90208693/with-alexa-cast-amazon-music-now-has-an-answer-to-chromecast
Tomi Engdahl says:
Spotify hits 180M users but loses €394M in tepid Q2 earnings
https://techcrunch.com/2018/07/26/spotify-earnings-q2-2018/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mozilla executive claims that Google has made YouTube slower on Edge and Firefox
https://www.neowin.net/news/mozilla-executive-claims-that-google-has-made-youtube-slower-on-edge-and-firefox
Early last year, YouTube received a design refresh with Google’s own Polymer library which enabled “quicker feature development” for the platform. Now, a Mozilla executive is claiming that Google has made YouTube slower on Edge and Firefox by using this framework.
YouTube’s Polymer redesign relies heavily on the deprecated Shadow DOM v0 API, which is only available in Chrome. This in turn makes the site around five times slower on competing browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Mozila Firefox.
The executive has also mentioned a couple of workarounds for users on Edge and Firefox
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chloe Aiello / CNBC:
New York State Public Service Commission votes to revoke approval of the 2016 Charter/TWC merger, saying company failed to meet broadband buildout obligations
New York votes to revoke approval of Charter’s Time Warner Cable acquisition
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/27/new-york-votes-to-revoke-approval-of-charters-time-warner-cable-acqui.html
The New York State Public Service Commission voted on Friday to revoke its approval of the 2016 merger agreement between Charter Communications and Time Warner Cable.
The commission alleged the cable company failed to meet obligations related to its buildout of broadband in the state.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Richard Gao / Android Police:
Following its mobile apps, YouTube now supports different aspect ratios, including vertical video, on its web player
YouTube web player now adapts to different aspect ratios
https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/07/27/youtube-web-player-now-adapts-different-aspect-ratios/
f it were up to us, every video would be 16:9, with some exceptions made for some more cinematic footage. But because there are older videos and people unaware of vertical video syndrome on YouTube, videos with inferior aspect ratios are an unfortunate reality. The team behind YouTube is making the best of this situation and has now forced its web player to adapt to different aspect ratios.
Basically, it removes the formerly-permanent 16:9 frame around every video, allowing them to appear larger and better adjust to different window sizes.
The change should be live for everyone. Unfortunately, it doesn’t compensate for most of the vertical music videos many artists have been making these days, which are often technically 16:9 videos in YouTube’s eyes because of the way they were edited and uploaded.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Adi Robertson / The Verge:
Magic Leap headset first look: functional and thoughtfully designed, with some advantages over competitors, but not a radical step forward nor a magical advance — When you write about augmented reality headsets, you’re supposed to start by describing something impossible …
I tried Magic Leap and saw a flawed glimpse of mixed reality’s amazing potential
https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/8/17662040/magic-leap-one-creator-edition-preview-mixed-reality-glasses-launch
“Our whole thing with Magic Leap One is, we want people to realize this is what computing should look like.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jessi Hempel / Wired:
Interview with Magic Leap CEO Rony Abovitz as its AR headset launches, on the company’s over-hyped marketing, developing for the headset, and more — Over the past few years, onetime supporters have grown skeptical of Magic Leap’s mythical augmented-reality product.
http://www.wired.com/story/magic-leap-one-creator-augmented-reality-inside-story
Scott Stein / CNET:
Magic Leap’s One Creator Edition AR headset launches for select users for $2,295+ online; each device must be set up in person via white glove service Enjoy
http://www.cnet.com/news/the-magic-leap-one-ar-headset-is-finally-available-for-2295/
Tomi Engdahl says:
4% growth predicted for global set-top market
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/07/4-growth-predicted-for-global-set-top-market.html?cmpid=enl_btr_video_technology_2018-07-23&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
According to Technavio, the global set-top-box market is expected to post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of close to 4% during the period 2018-2022.
Technavio says a key factor driving the growth of the market is the digitalization of cable networks. Digitalization has increasingly become predominant in several countries as it helps enhance the quality of cable networks and helps network operators record the number of subscribers. Furthermore, government regulations mandating the digitization of cable networks in emerging economies have driven the consumer demand for set-tops in those counties.
Technavio believes the development of integrated set-tops is one of the key emerging trends in the global set-top-box market
Tomi Engdahl says:
UltraHD/4K TVs becoming the new normal
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/07/ultrahd-4k-tvs-becoming-the-new-normal.html?cmpid=enl_btr_video_technology_2018-07-23&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
According to ABI Research, the rapid and increasing number of worldwide UltraHD/4K flat panel TV shipments over the past few years is contributing to the overall growth of the global flat panel TV market. 4K TV units accounted for more than one-third of the total flat panel TV units sold in 2017. ABI forecasts that 4K flat panel TV shipments will surpass 102 million in 2018, representing 44% of total global flat panel TV shipments.
In addition to increasing availability of 4K content on streaming video services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, pay TV service providers are also investing to offer 4K content. Russian pay TV provider Tricolor TV recently launched 4K movie channels; U.S. pay TV operators Verizon and Frontier Communications are also testing 4K video services at present.
“Better visual experience and availability of 4K content together with declining price points are driving 4K TV set shipments,” said Khin Sandi Lynn, an industry analyst at ABI.
Geographically, Asia-Pacific leads the 4K unit shipments representing 37% of global unit shipments in 2018. The Asian-Pacific market is mainly driven by the Chinese market which offers several low-cost 4K models. North America and Western Europe are the regions with the highest 4K TV penetration at present.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Anevia debuts headend as software
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/07/anevia-debuts-headend-as-software.html?cmpid=enl_btr_video_technology_2018-07-23&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
Anevia has launched the latest version of its Flamingo headend solution, available as software or hardware. Flamingo 4.0 is available on D4 and D11 servers and in a software format. The headend software is designed to run directly on either a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) server or virtual machine.
Sylvain Eloy, product manager, Anevia said: “With a team of in-house software experts, we’re extremely proud to be the first to launch a software-only version of a multiscreen TV headend. Through extensive research and development, we’re able to stay ahead of the technical curve, and we know the market is moving towards visualization – something our customers are increasingly looking to adopt to save on operational costs, so we had to create a solution to address these demands.”
The upgraded Flamingo features a new video on demand (VOD) service designed to support hundreds of hours of viewing up to 4K/UltraHD quality with upgraded storage capacity. Existing features carried forward include time-shift and pause live TV.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AV systems available as-a-service
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2018/07/greatamerica-av-amp-av-as-a-service.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-07-16&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2174382
GreatAmerica Financial Services recently announced AV AMP (AV As a Monthly Payment), which the company describes as “a new financial bundling product that incorporates monthly service fees into invoices from systems integrators and contractors.”
The company developed the program with help from the National Systems Contractors Association (NSCA), and says AV AMP “simplifies the often-confusing AV market transactions that separate the equipment purchase from the service agreement on separate invoices. Moreover, AV AMP helps those who aren’t consistently selling service agreements get started.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Flexible Loudspeaker Made of Nanowires Will Stick to Your Skin and Play Music
https://spectrum.ieee.org/nanoclast/semiconductors/nanotechnology/nanomembrane-sticks-to-your-skin-and-plays-music
A variety of nanomaterials have been used over the years in loudspeakers and microphones. Nanoparticles have replaced permanent magnets in loudspeakers and a thin film of carbon nanotubes has done pretty much the same. And, of course, someone tried to use graphene to reproduce sound for microphones.
Now researchers at Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea have made a nanomembrane out of silver nanowires to serve as flexible loudspeakers or microphones. The researchers even went so far as to demonstrate their nanomembrane by making it into a loudspeaker
“The biggest breakthrough of our research is the development of ultrathin, transparent, and conductive hybrid nanomembranes with nanoscale thickness, less than 100 nanometers,” said Ko. “These outstanding optical, electrical, and mechanical properties of nanomembranes enable the demonstration of skin-attachable and imperceptible loudspeaker and microphone.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Musicians only got 12% of the $43 billion the music industry generated in 2017, and it mostly came from touring
https://nordic.businessinsider.com/musicians-received-12-percent-43-billion-generated-by-music-industry-study-2018-8/
Recording artists received just 12% of the $43 billion that the music industry generated in 2017, according to a Citigroup report.
Consumer spending on music generated an all-time high of more than $20 billion last year, but music businesses, including labels and publishers, took almost $10 billion, while artists received just $5.1 billion, the “bulk” of which came from touring.
Tomi Engdahl says:
You Don’t See in 4K
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxNBiAV4UnM
Many people are thinking about upgrading to the next video format – 4K. But does the human eye and brain even perceive and process things that clearly? Let’s find out if the upgrade is necessary.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why is EVERYONE Buying This Sound Bar??
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if9_S_bn2b8
Sound bars are a growing category in the home theater space. Some can do multi-room audio. Some can do virtual surround sound. Some, like the new Sonos Beam, even have the Google Assistant or Alexa built in. But what about this best-selling value sound bar from Amazon?
Tomi Engdahl says:
What’s the Difference Between DVB-S2 and DVB-S2X Standards?
https://www.mwrf.com/systems/what-s-difference-between-dvb-s2-and-dvb-s2x-standards?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20180807_MWRF-001_938&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=19105&utm_medium=email&elq2=c441be9d153840faa61bd75c0ca629db
The DVB-S2 standard offers benefits compared to the previous-generation DVB-S standard, while DVB-S2X provides additional technologies and features for the core applications of DVB-S2.
Over time, DVB-S became the most popular system for delivering digital TV broadcasts. Technology has advanced and spread tremendously since then, which led to an increased need for advances to the DVB-S system. Thus, the DVB-S2 and DVB-S2X systems were born!
Let’s take a look at both DVB-S2 and DVB-S2X and the main differences that exist between them.
DVB-S2
One of the biggest reasons for the second generation of digital video broadcasting was to enable the commercial launch of HDTV services.
DVB-S2 is able to achieve about a 30% increase in spectral performance compared to the original DVB-S. This allows for an increase in bit rate over the same DVB-S frequency bandwidth. In fact, it comes close to the Shannon Limit, the theoretical maximum information transfer rate in a channel for a given noise level.
DVB-S2X
The DVB-S2X system is not necessarily another model made up of the DVB-S2, but rather an extension. DVB-S2X was specified in the mid-2000s and provides additional technologies and features for the core applications of DVB-S2. Applications include Direct to Home (DTH), Contribution, VSAT, and DSNG. It also covers an extended operating range with a focus on delivery to emerging markets, such as cellular devices and 5G.
DVB-S2X supports very low C/N (down to −10 dB) for mobile applications like marine, aerospace, trains, etc. Like DVB-S2, DVB-S2X uses LDPC FEC schemes and BCH FEC as an outer code.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Terrestrial broadcasters get on the 5G roadmap
https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/5g-waves/4460834/Terrestrial-broadcasters-get-on-the-5G-roadmap
The non-standalone version of 5G New Radio (NSA 5G NR) was finalized last December, and more recently the standalone version (SA 5G NR) in mid-June (the former is a subset, or a special case, of the latter). We know that’s not the end of the 5G standards, though. So, what’s next? Creating specifications for use cases other than mobile broadband, which include terrestrial and satellite broadcasting.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has partnered with the Linux Foundation to launch the Academy Software Foundation.
Hollywood gets its own open-source foundation
https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/10/hollywood-gets-its-own-open-source-foundation/
Open source is everywhere now, so maybe it’s no surprise that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (yes, the organization behind the Oscars) today announced that it has partnered with the Linux Foundation to launch the Academy Software Foundation, a new open-source foundation for developers in the motion picture and media space.
The founding members include a number of high-powered media and tech companies
Tomi Engdahl says:
Dawn of the First Digital Camera
https://hackaday.com/2018/08/13/dawn-of-the-first-digital-camera/
Technology vanishes. It either succeeds and becomes ubiquitous or fails. For example, there was a time when networking and multimedia were computer buzzwords. Now they are just how computers work. On the other hand, when was the last time you thought about using a CueCat barcode reader to scan an advertisement? Then there are the things that have their time and vanish, like pagers. It is hard to decide which category digital cameras fall into. They are being absorbed into our phones and disappearing as a separate category for most consumers. But have you ever wondered about the first digital camera? The story isn’t what you would probably guess.
The first digital camera I ever had was a Sony that took a floppy disk. Surely that was the first, right? Turns out, no. There were some very early attempts that didn’t really have the technology to make them work.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory was using analog electronic imaging as early as 1961
Kodak 1975
Steven Sasson, working for Kodak, received an early CCD image sensor from Fairchild in 1974.
Just like a bag phone doesn’t look much like a cellphone, Sasson’s 8-pound camera didn’t look much like today’s digital point and shoot
Even then it took 23 seconds to record one of the 30 pictures onto the cassette
Even for all that, the camera’s resolution was 100×100 4-bit greyscale pixels.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The VU Meter and How It Got That Way
https://hackaday.com/2018/08/09/the-vu-meter-and-how-it-got-that-way/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Recorded Programming — Thanks to Bing Crosby
https://hackaday.com/2018/08/07/recorded-programming-thanks-to-bing-crosby/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Buying headphones in 2018 is going to be a fragmented mess
Into the uncertain wilderness of wireless and digital connections, we go
https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/18/16903516/headphones-wireless-analog-jack-future-ces-2018
Tomi Engdahl says:
Factory Tour: PS Audio | Stereophile
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRs6OBAv5kQ
Paul McGowan, the CEO of PS Audio, gives John Atkinson (Editor, Stereophile) a tour of PS Audio’s factory. Filmed in Boulder, CO January 2018.
Tomi Engdahl says:
10 Things to Consider When Buying Video LED Lights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi5Ve3J3BQY
Tomi Engdahl says:
10 Video LED Lights $50-$100
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcBb-MInwBc
Looking for high powered LED lights on a budget? Check out these 10 great video LED lights that will cost you $50 to $100. This is part 2 of a series on budget LED lights. Check out part 1 ($0-50)
Tomi Engdahl says:
World’s First High-Definition Wearables Featuring Flexible Display Technologies
https://www.eeweb.com/profile/eeweb/news/worlds-first-high-definition-wearables-featuring-flexible-display-technologies
Royole Corporation has introduced the world’s first high-definition Flexible+ Wearables featuring flexible display and sensor technologies. Company founder and CEO, Dr. Bill Liu, unveiled the Royole Flexible Shirt and Flexible Top Hat at the recent World Cup final in Moscow, where fans were shown wearing the Flexible+ Wearables.
“We embedded our ground-breaking, ultra-thin fully flexible displays into a traditional, yet stylish, cotton shirt and top hat for a unique new way for companies or individuals to visually express their personal passions, politics, creativity, social awareness, and more,” Liu said.
Royole Flexible+ Wearables are easy to assemble, extremely comfortable to wear, and are powered by a portable external Lithium battery. They support 3GP/MP4 videos and JPEG/GIF images.
http://www.royole.com/press-release
Tomi Engdahl says:
Automotive Applications Drive Class D Audio Amplifier Performance
https://innovation-destination.com/2018/06/22/automotive-applications-drive-class-d-audio-amplifier-performance/?code=Coilcraft_ED_InnovationDestination_082018-01&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=19002&utm_medium=email&elq2=b7debdb8b89841c8aec64f7298457d24
Advances in Class D amplifiers have opened the doors into higher-end apps, but the choice of inductor is crucial toward optimizing their performance.
Analog Class AB amplifiers have been a staple of the audio industry for decades, and their ability to deliver excellent sound quality has kept them there—despite their inherent bulk and other shortcomings. However, for automotive and battery-powered products, these limitations can no longer be accommodated. Now taking their place is the Class D audio power amplifier. Formerly relegated to low-end applications, these amplifiers, thanks to advances in technology, now can deliver performance equal to that of its Class AB counterpart.
For those not familiar with the Class D amplifier, it uses pulse width modulation (PWM) whereby transistors are operated as switches rather than delivering linear gain as in other amplifier classes. As the switches are either fully on or fully off, power losses are dramatically reduced, which makes it possible to achieve efficiency greater than 90%. This high-efficiency reduces the need for heat sinking, which in turn shrinks size, weight, and cost in comparison to lower amplifier classes.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Facebook has been banning Kodi boxes since it decided to crackdown on unauthorized streaming devices last year
Facebook’s Kodi box ban is nothing new
https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/17/facebooks-kodi-box-ban-is-nothing-new/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
According to recent reports, Facebook has updated its Commerce Policy to specifically ban the sale of Kodi boxes on its site – that is, devices that come with pre-installed Kodi software, which are often used for illegally streaming digital content. However, the ban is not a new one
It’s true that the changes have flown under the radar until now, though.
Facebook posts “may not promote the sale of devices that facilitate or encourage streaming digital content in an authorized manner or interfering with the functionality of electronic devices.”
According to a Facebook spokesperson, it launched a new policy last summer that prohibited the sale of electronic devices that facilitate or are intended for unauthorized streaming or access to digital content – including Kodi boxes.
The ban affects all posts on Marketplace, Buy and Sell Groups, and Shop Sections on Pages.
Facebook explains it takes a very strong enforcement approach when “Kodi” is mentioned with a product for sale.
As Techdirt pointed out, that’s problematic because the Kodi software itself is actually legal.
However, device makers like Dragon Box or SetTV have been using the open-source Kodi platform and other add-ons to make copyright infringement easier for consumers.
As for Kodi, the company says Facebook’s move doesn’t affect them.
“It doesn’t impact us, since we don’t sell devices,”
He said his organization would love to talk to someone at Facebook – since they’ve never been in touch – in order to ensure that devices that are in compliance with Kodi’s trademark policy are not banned.
“We’ve gotten thousands of devices which were in violation of our trademark policy removed from eBay,” Herrington said.
It’s unclear how well-enforced Facebook’s ban really is
Tomi Engdahl says:
Playing Music Through a Plasma Arc
https://blog.hackster.io/playing-music-through-a-plasma-arc-b18db2026ef9
Tomi Engdahl says:
16 Mix Automation Tips to Bring your Mix to Life
https://www.waves.com/mix-automation-tips-to-bring-your-mix-to-life?utm_source=wnletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=how-to-double-stack-watch-btn&utm_campaign=weekend-content-automation-eqs-aug10#creating-abbey-road-chambers-plugin
Gain a whole new level of control over your mixes by harnessing the power of automation. Learn to create more nuance and life in your mixes, avoid clutter and get tips on working with the common automation modes: Read, Touch, Latch and Write.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bluetooth SoC enables high-resolution audio
https://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4460994/Bluetooth-SoC-enables-high-resolution-audio
A Bluetooth 5 certified audio system-on-chip (SoC) from Microchip, the IS2064GM0L3, supports Sony’s high-resolution LDAC audio coding technology. LDAC allows audio streaming over Bluetooth connections at up to 990 kbps—three times higher than the standard Bluetooth Sub-Band Codec (SBC)—while maintaining maximum bit depth and frequency of 24 bits and 96 kHz.
The IS2064GM0L3 stereo audio SoC allows manufacturers to develop audio devices with an advanced codec that create an immersive and uninterrupted listening experience, extending high-resolution audio beyond audiophiles and into mass-market Bluetooth wireless products. For example, headphone manufacturer Audeze has implemented the chip into its high-end Mobius gaming headphones.
Prices for the IS2064GM-0L3 housed in an 8×8-mm LGA package start at $4.90 each in lots of 10,000 units.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/08/23/bluetooth-auttaa-kaiuttimet-huoneistojen-seinarakenteisiin/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hands-on with the bizarrely fascinating Looking Glass volumetric display
https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/22/hands-on-with-the-bizarrely-fascinating-looking-glass-volumetric-display/?sr_share=facebook&utm_source=tcfbpage
the latest project from Looking Glass Factory, a desktop volumetric display that they see as so central to the company’s goals that they’ve just named it the Looking Glass.
My experience with it left me a bit perplexed with where the tech would end up, but god dammit was it cool anyway.
The display is beaming 45 views of an object, each at 60 frames per second delivering images that you can peer around and see multiple angles of. How it works is that the display is basically sending out a fan of perspectives which can be observed by multiple people from multiple perspectives.
https://lookingglassfactory.com
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teardown of Magic Leap One reveals highly advanced placeholder tech
https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/23/teardown-of-magic-leap-one-reveals-highly-advanced-placeholder-tech/?sr_share=facebook&utm_source=tcfbpage
The screwdriver-happy dismantlers at iFixit have torn the Magic Leap One augmented reality headset all to pieces, and the takeaway seems to be that the device is very much a work in progress — but a highly advanced one.
The head-mounted display and accompanying computing unit are definitely meant for developers
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nikon embraces a mirrorless future with Z series cameras and lenses
https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/23/nikon-embraces-a-mirrorless-future-with-z-series-cameras-and-lenses/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
The largest trend in photography over the last five years or so, not counting smartphones, has been the emergence and maturity of mirrorless camera systems. These operate in a very different manner from traditional SLRs, and as such market leaders with decades embedded in the latter — namely Canon and Nikon — have resisted making the shift. That changes for Nikon today with its announcement of the Z6 and Z7, which show the company is making the change wholeheartedly.
two cameras and a new lens mount
The F mount has been around for decades and boasts some of the world’s best glass. But ultimately a more or less clean break was needed, and the Z mount manages to provide that,
The Z7 is the new flagship, and it closely replicates the ability of the popular Nikon D850
Its sibling, the Z6, has a lower megapixel count (24 versus 45) but further improves burst speed and may in fact prove superior in terms of video performance.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Defense of 24 FPS and Why It’s Here to Stay for Cinema
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM16aiSSpFk
The History of Frame Rate for Film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjYjFEp9Yx0
Explore the history of the frame rate – the engine that gives motion to the motion picture from their earliest versions in silent pictures to the frame rates of broadcast television.
Tomi Engdahl says:
VirtualLink™ Consortium
https://sites.google.com/view/virtuallink-consortium/home
What Is VirtualLink™?
VirtualLink is an open industry standard developed to meet the connectivity requirements of current and next-generation virtual reality (VR) headsets. VirtualLink is a consortium defined Alternate Mode of USB Type-C™ designed to deliver the power, display, and data required to power VR headsets through a single USB Type-C connector.
VirtualLink replaces multiple cables with a single lightweight cable. It simplifies the setup process and significantly reduces the setup time of VR headsets.
VirtualLink is designed to enable a new level of immersion in VR, with power, display, and data bandwidth specified to meet the needs of future VR headsets. That includes support for four lanes of HBR3 DisplayPort for high-resolution displays, USB 3.1 Gen2 (SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps) for headset cameras and sensors, and up to 27 Watts of power delivery.
VirtualLink has been developed as an open standard by an industry consortium of leading silicon, software, and headset manufacturers led by NVIDIA, Oculus, Valve, Microsoft, and AMD.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MIDI Association Releases Spec For TRS Jacks
https://hackaday.com/2018/08/23/midi-association-releases-spec-for-trs-jacks/
The MIDI spec was released in 1983, and for more than thirty years every synthesizer, drum machine, and piece of computer hardware with MIDI has sported an enormous DIN-5 jack on the back. Why did they choose such a large connector? Well, MiniDIN connectors hadn’t even been invented yet, and today even MiniDIN connectors are rarely-seen, obsolete connectors.
In the last decade, MIDI has found its way into some very small machines.
You can’t put a DIN-5 jack on those things, leading to some weird implementations of MIDI over non-standard connectors.
Now the MIDI Association has weighed in on the situation. There’s now a spec for MIDI over 2.5mm and 3.5mm TRS jacks. In just a few short decades, you’ll be able to connect MIDI gear with an audio aux cable.
Although there are five connectors in a DIN-5 jack, most implementations use only two connectors to send and receive data. Synth manufacturers have capitalized on this fact and cheap TRS connectors to build their own implementation of MIDI using smaller connectors, sometimes with incompatable pinouts.
The only caveats to the new MIDI standard is that 2.5mm TRS connectors are recommended, and that protection circuitry is strongly recommended in the case a headphone driver is inevitably connected to a MIDI device.
Specification for TRS Adapters Adopted and Released
https://www.midi.org/articles-old/trs-specification-adopted-and-released
The MIDI Manufacturers Association (MMA) has released a Specification for use of TRS Connectors with MIDI Devices. It is available for free download by MIDI Association members.
The document defines how to wire “TRS” (tip-ring-sleeve) connectors for use with MIDI devices, and describes the necessary device circuitry and cable specifications to support MIDI communication over the TRS connection.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Difference in Frame rates 24fps vs 30fps vs 60fps | AVI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNGJshMyHXI
Ian explains frame rates, and their uses in different forms of media.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Do You Know What The Best Frame Rate Is To Use When Shooting Video: 24 /30 /60
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vyxdm5aIOk
Tomi Engdahl says:
Everybody dance now – incredible machine learning based human pose video transfer https://arxiv.org/abs/1808.07371 shown in this video https://youtu.be/PCBTZh41Ris
Tomi Engdahl says:
Josh Constine / TechCrunch:
A look at IGTV’s struggles and slow growth two months after launch as Instagram and content creators try to figure out how to make the longer video format work — ‘Everything great starts small,’ says CEO — Instagram has never truly failed at anything, but judging by modest initial view counts
For IGTV, Instagram needs slow to mean steady
‘Everything great starts small,’ says CEO
https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/25/igtv-views/
Two months after that launched in 2016, Instagram was happy to trumpet how its Snapchat clone had hit 100 million users. Yet two months after IGTV’s launch, the Facebook subsidiary has been silent on its traction.
“It’s a new format. It’s different. We have to wait for people to adopt it and that takes time,” Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom told me. “Think of it this way: we just invested in a startup called IGTV, but it’s small, and it’s like Instagram was ‘early days.’”
They, and IGTV, will have to work for their audience. That’s already proving difficult for the standalone IGTV app. Though it peaked at the #25 overall US iPhone app and has seen 2.5 million downloads across iOS and Android according to Sensor Tower, it’s since dropped to #1497 and seen a 94 percent decrease in weekly installs to just 70,000 last week.
Instagram will have to be in it for the long haul if it wants to win at long-form video. Entering the market 13 years after YouTube with a vertical format no one’s quite sure what to do with, IGTV must play the tortoise
Instagram gave IGTV a red carpet premiere June 20th in hopes of making it look like the new digital hotspot.
But things were rocky from the start.
The web already knew how IGTV would let people upload vertical videos up to an hour long and browse them through categories like “Popular” and “For You” by the time Systrom took the stage
“What I’m most proud of is that Instagram took a stand and tried a brand new thing that is frankly hard to pull off. Full-screen vertical video that’s mobile only. That doesn’t exist anywhere else,”
Instagram forced creators to adopt this proprietary format. But it forget to train Stories stars how to entertain us for five or 15 minutes, not 15 seconds, or convince landscape YouTube moguls to purposefully shoot or crop their clips for the way we normally hold our phones.
That should have been the real purpose of the launch party — demonstrating a variety of ways to turn these format constraints or lack thereof into unique content.
Now IGTV feels haphazard, with trashy viral videos and miscropped ports amongst its Popular section alongside a few creators trying to produce made-for-IGTV talk shows and cooking tutorials. It’s yet to have its breakout “Chewbacca Mom” or “Rubberbanded Watermelon” blockbuster like Facebook Live.
Instagram wants to put the focus on the author, not the individual works of art.
Yet being unique requires extra effort that creators might not invest if they’re unsure of the payoff in either reach or revenue.
The one big surprise of the launch event was where IGTV would exist. Instagram announced it’d live in a standalone IGTV app, but also as a feature in the main app accessible from an orange button
IGTV didn’t get the benefit of the home screen spotlight like Instagram Stories.
View counts of the launch partners reflect that.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Patricia Hernandez / The Verge:
The YouTube stream for the Logan Paul vs. KSI fight had ~773K viewers, at $10/view, but 1M+ people watched unofficial streams of the fight on Twitch at its peak
More people watched the Logan Paul vs KSI fight on Twitch than on YouTube
Most people didn’t pay for the biggest event on YouTube
https://www.theverge.com/2018/8/25/17782158/ksi-logan-paul-boxing-match-twitch-pirated-stream
After months of hype, YouTube superstars Logan Paul and KSI finally exchanged blows today in front of millions of people. The official way to watch this fight was supposed to be a pay-per-view stream on YouTube that costs $10, but it seems most fans found alternate ways of watching the event.
Pirated broadcasts of the boxing match seemed to be everywhere on social media: on Twitter, one top stream had 70,000 people tuning in on Periscope, and there were other ones floating around, too. Live-streaming platform Twitch seemed to be the destination of choice for most people looking for unofficial broadcasts
At its height, over a million people were using Twitch to watch a fight on YouTube.
The largest stream on Twitch had over 400,000 people in it
By contrast, the official stream had around 773,000 viewers cumulatively — meaning that what has repeatedly been touted as the “biggest event” on YouTube didn’t end up drawing as many eyeballs as other sites did.
The lead-up to the fight has been a long and slightly embarrassing one
Tomi Engdahl says:
Matt Binder / Mashable:
YouTube will roll out the ability to enable non-skippable ads, up to a maximum length of 20 seconds, to all creators in its Partner Program starting next week — You might soon be seeing less of that “skip ad” button over on YouTube. — In a video titled Want to earn more money from ad revenue? …
YouTube ads are about to get a little less skippable
https://mashable.com/2018/08/24/youtube-non-skippable-ads/?europe=true#0rwYmrxgmiqd
You might soon be seeing less of that “skip ad” button over on YouTube.
In a video titled Want to earn more money from ad revenue?, posted on the platform’s official Creator Insider channel, YouTube announced a big change for its YouTube Partners.
Any channel that can monetize its videos will soon be able to implement non-skippable ads. Previously, as mentioned in the video, only select YouTube channels were able to run non-skippable ads.
In the video announcement, YouTube points out that advertisers pay more money for non-skippable advertisements, which in turn means more money for the creators who run these ads.
Earlier this year, YouTube set the maximum video length for non-skippable ads at 15-20 seconds, depending on a viewer’s location.
YouTube seems to be pushing its non-skippable ads as the preferred ad format over TrueView, ads viewers can skip after 5 seconds.
While more money for creators obviously sounds good, a number of commenters on the video announcement point out that their audiences might completely click away from their video instead of waiting for the non-skippable ad to finish, thus denying them any ad revenue from that viewer at all.
Reached for comment, a YouTube spokesperson pointed Mashable to a support page detailing how creators can have control, somewhat, over what type of ads run on their videos.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chris Welch / The Verge:
Sonos says it will open its developer program to all partners on September 6, opening the door to audio notifications and more — The company is opening its developer program to all in September — Alongside the announcement of its brand new Sonos Amp today, Sonos has also revealed an expansion of its developer program.
Audio notifications are coming to Sonos speakers
The company is opening its developer program to all in September
https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/8/29/17795872/sonos-audio-notifications-developer-program-ai
Tomi Engdahl says:
Robert Mitchell / Variety:
Facebook announces the international rollout of Facebook Watch, which first launched in the US a year ago this month, starting on Thursday — Facebook has announced the international rollout of Facebook Watch, its video destination for episodic content, which first launched in the U.S. a year ago this month.
Facebook Watch Rolls Out Internationally
https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/facebook-watch-international-rollout-1202918777/
Facebook has announced the international rollout of Facebook Watch, its video destination for episodic content, which first launched in the U.S. a year ago this month. The social media giant said Wednesday that the VOD service would be “available everywhere” from Thursday, giving publishers and content creators a worldwide market for their videos.
“With the global launch of Watch, we are supporting publishers and creators globally in two critical areas: helping them to make money from their videos on Facebook and better understand how their content is performing,” the company said in a statement.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/08/30/ifa2018-lgn-lisaksi-samsungilta-8k-televisiot/