Friday, October 24, 2014

Getac T800 - My next computer? Maybe....

Getac announces the availability of the new Getac T800, fully rugged tablet with Windows 8 displays with 8.1 ” .

Getac Announces Availability of Getac T800 on the market, the new tablet from 8.1″ withWindows 8 operating systems, designed specifically to support the productivity of those who work outdoors. Relatively thin and light, Getac T800 has been designed on the basis of the specific need’s operators and technicians who work outdoors in areas such as utilities, providing field services and Public Safety.

Getac T800 offers size not comparable to the tablet Windows for the consumer market, yet is small enough to be transported even in hostile environments for most of the electronic devices. With a thickness of 24mm and a weight of 880g, Getac T800can be taken, according to the company, in a pocket or a hand, giving the user power, reliability and versatility of a typical Windows system.

With the SnapBack can also add extensions to the tablet, such as a second battery that allows you to prolong the battery life up to 16 hours. Regarding the characteristics of resistance, Getac T800 is IP65 certified and meets the requirements of the American military MIL-STD-810G: in other words, it manages to survive to shock, drop, vibration and intrusion of liquid and powder, of course within certain limits.

The processor integrated in the tablet is an Intel Pentium N3530, quad-core 2.16 GHz processor, supported by 4GB of RAM DDR3L. Given the nature of the device, Getac has decided to introduce a datasheet cell phone compatible with 4G LTE networks (optional), as well as support networks and Wi-Fi 802.11ac functionality geolocation via GPS SiRFStar IV. Noteworthy also is the monitor, according to data released by the company.


Thanks to the technologies and LumiBond QuadraClear proprietary panel 8.1″ LCD TFT 1280×800 unable to reach a value of maximum luminance of 600 nits without drastically compromising the autonomy of the device. Getac T800 is also available and can be ordered in a wide range from 64 to 128GB of storage built-in.

Getac T800 – Technical Specification

  • Intel Pentium 2.16 GHz N3530
  • Operating System Windows 7 or Windows 8
  • Tablet Dimensions: 227 x 151 x 24 mm
  • Multi-touch display 8.1 ” 1280×800 600nits
  • Weight: 880 g. 64GB / 128GB SSD
  • SiRFstarIV GPS ™
  • Rugged Full, MIL-STD-810G, IP65
  • Super fast WiFi: 802.11 ac
  • Extensive connectivity, antenna design patented 3D internally
  • Expansion with SnapBack: 2-1 player barcode and RFID Battery or optional
  • Battery life: 8 hours / 16 hours with battery SnapBack
  • Tri RF pass-through (WWAN and WLAN and GPS).

360 by 270 for under $800?




Remember 360fly? The panoramic camera from EyeSee360, which built the panoramic GoPano iPhone lens, has been on the scene since early this year at NAB. Now, the WiFi- and Bluetooth-equipped 360fly camera has been given the nod by the FCC, and an attached review manual gives us a better idea how it works. As the company showed earlier, it's a single-lens 360 degree horizontal and 240 degree vertical fisheye lens that has "the widest field of view on the market." It uses an iOS 8 or Android 4.3+ app that turns your Bluetooth LE-equipped smartphone into a 360 degree video viewfinder with full remote control.

Using a single lens and sensor eliminates the need to "stitch" video and photos -- instead, you can swipe across the video to pick the angle you want, then edit it together using the 360fly app. As for the rest of the specs: according to the FCC guide, it's waterproof to a whopping 164 feet (5 atm) with 16GB of memory, a 360 degree horizontal and 240 degree vertical f/2.5 lens, a mic and a 1,504 x 1,504 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor. It can hold a charge for 2 hours, weighs 138g (0.3 pounds) and comes with a tilt mount, power cradle and USB port. You may have noticed that I didn't mention an SD card -- it looks like it'll make do with 16GB of internally memory only, with large transfers to your mobile device by WiFi.



Rather than tackling sports cam stalwarts like GoPro directly, the 360fly is trying to carve its own niche by capturing video from all around the photographer without the complexity of multiple lenses. EyeSee360 must have a convincing case, because it raised $17.8 million from bullish investors. Though the company promised it for this summer, it looks like its ready to at least take a step towards the market now that it's cleared the FCC. Some of the specs might be revised in the interim, but for now, the manual is marked "Reviewer's Guide," so hopefully we'll get our mitts on it soon.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Killing off Counterfeit COM... the end is near?

Windows Update driver bricks counterfeit FTDI USB-to-serial chips

Driver changes fake FTDI chip settings, renders it unusable

A recent Windows Update is causing trouble for people working with Arduino microcontrollers and other similar projects, by making some hardware inoperable. A driver update for FTDI chips as part of the Windows Update is apparently damaging the software on some USB-to-serial components, with counterfeit chips suddenly becoming inoperable.
Due to the prevalence of FTDI serial chips in hobbyist electronics, there are now many fake chips on the market claiming to be from FTDI, and function using previous official driversHack A Day warns that the new drivers do not merely prevent the counterfeit chips from working with Windows Systems, as they change the code on the chips so that the Product ID (PID) is 0000, making them effectively unusable on any other platform
Though damaging, the issue can still be reversed, as FTDI does offer a configuration tool which can be used to change the PID. Even so, it will change back to 0000 again if it comes into contact with the newer drivers.

Ars Technica notes that the EULA for the drivers includes some new terms, advising the use of the driver with "a component that is not a Genuine FTDI Component, including without limitation counterfeit components, may irretrievably damage that component." It is unclear if the drivers are acting in a malicious way or not, as it is possible the counterfeit chips are misinterpreting commands and causing the issues, rather than it being an attempt by the company to damage the fake components. 

FTDI has yet to comment about the issue. When questioned, Microsoft refused to comment and referred Ars Technica to FTDI over the matter.

Read more: http://www.electronista.com/articles/14/10/23/driver.changes.fake.ftdi.chip.settings.renders.it.unusable/#ixzz3GzXUtkxF

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Samsung NX1



Good to go for VMS333

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

MODESTA

MODESTA: The Evolution of System Integration

As Army tactical networks become more complex, there’s an increased need to perform system-of-systems (SoS) engineering early in the development and integration process. New technologies don’t always work seamlessly with the fielded equipment – which makes system integration and improvement a challenge. That’s why the tools used to analyze these tactical networks must also evolve.
(Graphic illustration provided by CERDEC/Released)
(Graphic illustration provided by CERDEC/Released)
Conducting SoS analysis upfront will enable stakeholders to find potential issues and implement solutions before large investments have been made. Leveraging a modeling and simulation (M&S) environment provides the most cost-effective means to do this large scale and beyond the component level.
However, many existing M&S capabilities can’t answer today’s complex network questions, such as detailed routing and latency analysis.
Moreover, the current M&S landscape is disjointed and stove piped. We need to take a conscious look, as an Army, at the cost in terms of reigning in spending and upfront coordination of capabilities across the community. It is imperative that the Acquisition and Science and Technology (S&T) communities work towards a defined end state for M&S capabilities.
To this point, we’re developing a holistic tactical modeling, simulation and emulation tool that will not only allow early SoS engineering, but will also streamline M&S across the Acquisition and S&T communities.
This will reduce redundant analysis and duplicate spending by project managers and provide significant, long-term cost savings to the Army.
The Modeling, Emulation, Simulation Tool for Analysis (MODESTA) provides a large-scale, tactical network analysis environment with a centralized framework so analysts can conduct realistic, operational scenarios with emulated and simulated systems – all while accessing centralized data models and data collection, reduction and analysis tools.
 Engineers demonstrate live hardware, a radio in this case, being emulated and tested in a lab setting while the adjoining image shows a drawing of the radio used in the field. (Graphic illustration provided by CERDEC/Released)
Engineers demonstrate live hardware, a radio in this case, being emulated and tested in a lab setting while the adjoining image shows a drawing of the radio used in the field. (Graphic illustration provided by CERDEC/Released)
MODESTA enables the utilization of live and emulated hardware (such as tactical radios or routers), which provides the user a virtual environment in which to interact with live hardware, thus providing true performance characteristics at scale while running real applications – such  as Mission Command and Fires applications.
MODESTA’s framework enables seamless interaction between live hardware and emulated systems; this allows for increased scalability with few limitations, providing a good picture of how the technology is going to interact in the full system-of-systems network/environment before the tech provider gets too far along in development.  Furthermore, you’re not pulling radios, unmanned aerial systems, or vehicles out of the field to use as training/laboratory assets.
There are several simulation/emulation environments and a variety of models being utilized by different organizations, but these are not accessible to the greater M&S community.
The MODESTA configuration management databases will compile these high fidelity models along with any past analysis associated with the models – such as what was done, by whom, in what scenario, with what traffic, yielding what results.
It will also allow analysts to replicate those scenarios while adding their own logistical and environmental variables with a few clicks of the mouse, so you don’t have to duplicate the effort of setting up your scenario every time you want to move to a new environment. This will reduce duplicative analysis while helping shape and advance future testing.
The MODESTA framework will also enable the S&T and Acquisition communities to perform cross-Program Executive Office analysis: threats, intelligence systems, Distributed Common Ground System-Army, and sensor feeds can be evaluated in conjunction with the tactical communications network.
(Graphic illustration provided by CERDEC/Released)
(Graphic illustration provided by CERDEC/Released)
Additionally, MODESTA’s modular framework will provide most of the communications infrastructure and the data collection and reduction so users can evaluate multiple types of systems – ranging from Mission Command applications to cyber defensive/offensive systems to sensors – on a scalable network.
Working under the MODESTA framework will create cost efficiencies in licensing, waveform development, server costs and maintenance, and the man hours needed to set up varying analyses.  The end state could reduce spending by as much as 80 percent.
We’re applying it to our R&D work to see how it’s going to interact with the existing PM systems; this will aid in the technology transition of CERDECtech-base work while allowing for technology progression from Technical Readiness Level 3-6 with a focus on SoS integration.
We’re also partnered with PEO C3T to build a brigade-scale, high-fidelity M&S environment where we’ll be replicating a future capability set for the Army, using high-fidelity emulation of a brigade and live hardware from the CERDEC C4ISR Systems Integration Lab (CSIL). We will have the initial capability by Jan 2015. One year after that, we hope to scale up to a division – and potentially an Army Corps.
CERDEC S&TCD has a long history of creating tactical communications models, conducting simulation and emulation analysis, and performing tactical data collection/reduction for analysis – from individual PMs to our lab-based and field-based risk reduction support of NIEs.  As a result, we know what data, tools and processes are useful for evaluating these systems.
That’s why we’re leading the charge toward an open, modular, high-fidelity M&S tool that will allow stakeholders to make the best decisions as to which new technologies get fielded and how they get fielded.
We see the potential of this as a cross-PEO tool, but we’d like to see this M&S environment be accessible across the Army S&T community to all the PMs. It will be easier for the Army to achieve a unified vision for our tactical networks if we’re all on the same page using the same analysis results to make decisions that will support our soldiers.
Written by:
Joshua Fischer, chief of the Data Collection, Analysis, Modeling and Simulation (DCAMS) branch in the CERDEC S&TCD Systems Engineering, Architecture, Modeling and Simulation (SEAMS) Division
Noah Weston, Modeling and Simulation Team Leader (acting) for CERDEC S&TCD Systems Engineering, Architecture, Modeling and Simulation (SEAMS) Division
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Friday, October 10, 2014

Serious Stuff - Google to tackle Ellison and Oracle Java Claims...

Google asks Supreme Court to weigh in over Java API use in Android

By Electronista Staff

The battle between Google and Oracle could be heating up again in the near future, as the search giant has petitioned the US Supreme Court to review the case for a final ruling. Previously, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal District overturned a lower court ruling that found Google didn't infringe upon Oracle copyright by using pieces of open-source Java APIs in Android without a license.
The legal battle dates back to 2011, when Oracle accused Google of copying aspects of 37 Java APIs in Android. Oracle was seeking more than $1 billion in damages for Google's use of code elements including headers, names and declarations. US District Judge William Alsup found in 2012 that Google wasn't guilty of infringement as APIs weren't subject to copyright protection.

Appeals court Judge Kathleen O'Malley believed otherwise, stating that "structure, sequence, and organization of the 37 Java API packages at issues are entitled to copyright protection." The decision to overturn in Oracle's favor would send waves through the tech industry, as Oracle considered it a win for the software industry. Google thought it set a dangerous precedent.

Google believes that the ruling from the US Court of Appeals would allow for "copyright monopolies" over some of basic computer programming and design elements. The company draws parallels to Remington's development of the QWERTY typewriter keyboard design. Had the appeals court applied the same logic to the invention as it did in the Oracle case, Remington could have "monopolized not only the sale of its patented typewriters for the length of a patent term, but also the sale of all keyboards for nearly a century."

Google says Remington wouldn't have been able to win a copyright infringement lawsuit against companies like IBM and Apple for their additions to the keyboard layout. Users expected companies to use the QWERTY design, it argues, after investing time to learn it. Remington wouldn't be "entitled to appropriate the investments" others made in learning how to use the keyboard. Google suggest that the Java API it used are important for function, but not a creative work that would be granted protection. Those APIs were added to Android because programmers were familiar with them, learned the elements and expected to use them.

"As relevant here, a person writing an Android application in the Java language may use shorthand commands to cause a computer to perform certain functions, such as choosing the larger of two numbers," said Google. "Programmers have made significant investments in learning these commands; they are, in effect, the basic vocabulary words of the Java language. When programmers sit down to write applications, they expect to be able to use them."

Google started the process of filing the petition back in July, asking for an extension to file until October 6. Even though the petition was accepted this month, the Supreme Court has until November 7 to respond.

Read more: http://www.electronista.com/articles/14/10/09/google.asks.supreme.court.to.weigh.in.over.java.api.use.in.android/#ixzz3FkKXlgtc

Sunday, October 5, 2014

GoPro gets some GO - All Brightsky

A bit of news -  The newly listed GoPro stock was partially gifted to get around some of the rules for cashing out. New stock-holders are potentially in process of going after BOD and once founders and owners need to get their value out?  


A few months ago, we told you about BrightSky Labs, a startup that hoped to unlock videos recorded on GoPro cameras and other wearable devices and make them easy to edit and share. Today, the company is releasing the first version of its video-sharing app 10, which is designed to do just that.


The 10 app was created to reduce the friction GoPro users currently have when finding and editing videos to share. Currently, anyone who attaches a GoPro to their snowboard, surfboard or any other device usually ends up waiting until they get home and upload videos to their computers before being able to access them. Then they have to go through the trouble of sorting through all the content they recorded for just the choice bits and cut them down before uploading them to YouTube or other networks.

BrightSky Labs hopes to simplify that process, which they believe will make for a lot more shareable and shared GoPro content making its way online. The 10 app makes it simple for extreme sports enthusiasts to finish recording, check out the videos they’ve recorded, and get right back to the slopes or the surf, or whatever it is they’re being extreme on.

The app connects directly to a user’s GoPro camera via Wi-Fi, enabling it to capture video as it’s being recorded, or to access pre-recorded videos that are already saved on those devices. The magic of 10 comes from an algorithm that quickly helps users discover the most interesting snippets from their recordings, and to quickly cut them into shareable bits.


The app’s editing bay has a two-axis slider that makes it easy for users to scroll to a shareable section of video by sliding the cursor left or right, and also to change the length of the bit they want to share by sliding up or down. It also is able to recognize where a video is shot and suggest filters that users might want to overlay on the video.

Users can also add music or narration to their videos, either from their phone’s microphone or from a selection of licensed tracks that are available in the 10 app. Once that’s all done, it’s time for users to share their videos to networks like YouTube, Facebook, Vine, and WhatsApp.

According to co-founder Ian McCarthy, BrightSky Labs picked the name “10” for the app because the team wanted its brand “to be about the enjoyment from using the tech, not focused on the tech itself.” After testing with users, the company found the name resonated with users and how they felt about their adventures. “We heard pretty unanimously that it means for them “the best,” McCarthy wrote in an email.