Almost Lytro camera chip from Toshiba... patents to follow?

Toshiba Building A Lytro-Style Camera Sensor For Smartphones And Tablets, Planned For 2013 Launch

from TechCrunch by Darrell Etherington

Toshiba is intent on making a camera sensor for smartphones and tablets that borrows a trick from Lytro and allows users to select a focus area in their photos after having taken them. Not only that, but it’ll also allow users to put the whole photo in focus, as well as work with video shot on the device, potentially one-upping the pioneering Lytro camera in a form factor designed for use in everyday devices. Engadget spotted a report from Asahi Shimbun detailing Toshiba’s latest mobile imaging project.

The camera is designed to use 500,000 small lenses layered on top of the camera sensor, each of which grabs a slightly different image which is then combined into one via Toshiba’s software. The result is an image that users can tap to select focus, just like with those created by Lytro’s lightfield technology, but in a package small enough to fit in your pocket, rather than in Lytro’s elongated camera body. While Toshiba is already hard at work on the tech, and hopes to link up with smartphone and tablet OEMs to work it into their devices, don’t expect to see anything available commercially using this tech before at least the end of 2013. No word yet on whether it’ll allow users to shift perspective slightly in addition to focus, the way Lytro does since its latest update.

We recently covered a project that allows you to create Lytro-style pics using any camera that can manual focuswhile shooting digital video, but Toshiba’s tech promises to be even easier to use, and likely cheaper for most individuals, too. Many see Lytro itself as a tech demo, with the ultimate intent of the project being to get the tech into more wide-ranging consumer devices. In an interview with Gizmodo in October, Lytro founder Dr. Ren Ng mused on when we might see Lytro tech in smartphones, which reportedly still requires “extensive research and testing.” It looks like the race is on, however, with Toshiba eager to capitalize early.

Smartphones according to Ericson

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN--(Marketwire - Nov 21, 2012) -


Ericsson Mobility Report Shows Rapid Smartphone Uptake and Doubling of Mobile Data Traffic

* Approximately 40 percent of all phones sold in Q3 2012 were smartphones and the growth of smartphone data traffic is expected to exceed the overall average

* Mobile data traffic doubled between Q3 2011 and Q3 2012, and is expected to grow 12 times between 2012 and 2018, driven mainly by video

* Total mobile subscriptions are expected to reach 6.6 billion in 2012 and 9.3 billion in 2018

* There were an additional 13 million LTE subscriptions in Q3 2012, and numbers are predicted to reach 1.6 billion by 2018

The latest Ericsson ( NASDAQ : ERIC ) Mobility Report, formerly known as the Ericsson Traffic and Market Report, reveals that approximately 40 percent of all phones sold in Q3 were smartphones. Data traffic doubled between Q3 2011 and Q3 2012, and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 50 percent between 2012 and 2018, driven mainly by video.

Figure: Application mobile data traffic volumes by device type

Ericsson's research shows that online video is the biggest contributor to mobile traffic volumes, constituting 25 percent of total smartphone traffic and 40 percent of total tablet traffic. This puts new requirements on networks to cater for quality anywhere and anytime.

Douglas Gilstrap, Senior Vice President and Head of Strategy at Ericsson, says: "Expectations of mobile-network quality have been elevated by the availability of smartphones and tablets that have changed the way we use the internet. Mobility is becoming an increasingly significant part of our daily lives; we always have devices within arm's reach, allowing us instant access to information, entertainment and social interaction."

Total mobile subscriptions are expected to reach 6.6 billion by the end of 2012 and 9.3 billion by the end of 2018. These figures do not include machine-to-machine (M2M) subscriptions. China alone accounted for about 35 percent of net additions during Q3, with about 40 million additional subscriptions. Brazil (9 million), Indonesia (7 million), and the Philippines (5 million) followed in terms of net additions. Overall, global mobile penetration reached 91 percent in Q3 2012, and mobile subscriptions now total around 6.4 billion. Mobile subscriptions have grown by around 9 percent year-on-year and 2 percent quarter-on-quarter.

By mid-2012, LTE coverage was provided for an estimated 455 million people globally. Within five years, more than half the world's population is expected to benefit from to LTE coverage.

Figure: Mobile Subscriptions by technology, 2009-2018

LTE is the fastest-developing system in the history of mobile communications in terms of buildout and uptake. LTE is currently being deployed and built out in all regions, and total subscriptions will increase from around 55 million at the end of 2012 to an estimated 1.6 billion in 2018. WCDMA/HSPA networks currently provide coverage to more than half the world's population and continue to grow faster than LTE in terms of absolute numbers, adding 65 million subscriptions in Q3 2012 compared with 13 million for LTE.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Link to Ericsson new and previous issues of Ericsson Mobility Report:

www.ericsson.com/ericsson-mobility-report

Remote King Hit via SMS

Open Source App Lets You Control Your Phone over SMS

from xda-developers by jerdog

Security applications are a dime-a-dozen these days. While it normally wouldn’t be noteworthy to have a new entry into the fray, this one is different in one very important way: The developer knows none of your information. AeGis, which comes to us from XDA Recognized Developer Decad3nce, is unlike competing applications in that it does not require a data connection, you are not asked to log in to anything, and you do not need to register and pay a large firm a yearly fee in order to use the below features:

Features:

- Ability to remotely lock your device via SMS
- Ability to remotely enable sound on your device via SMS
- Ability to remotely locate your device via SMS
- Ability to remotely wipe your device via SMS
- Ability to lock application with a password

In what may be the best feature of them all, Decad3nce has chosen to completely open-source the application, giving you the ability to fork and add new features as you see fit. AeGis utilizes the latest in Android’s Holo design principles, and requires Android 4.x.

If you want to check out what could be one of the best new security apps, visit the original thread for more information or you can view the source at Decad3nce’s Github.

Its Nature's Way....

Apple Multi-touch Patent Invalid?

U.S. Patent Office Preliminary Determination Finds That The ‘Steve Jobs’ Multitouch Patent Is Invalid

from TechCrunch by Darrell Etherington

The USPTO has issued a preliminary notice indicating that the famous ‘Steve Jobs’ patent, which describes basic multitouch technology including scrolling, might be invalid, according to a first Office action uncovered by FOSS Patents. The ruling is very early, however, and Apple still has two months to make an initial response and a number of appeals before the patent in question might finally be rendered invalid. Many news outlets are talking about the effect this may have on ongoing court cases, but looking at the details, it’s much too early to even be thinking about the effect such a decision would have on ongoing court battles between Samsung and others.

USPTO Invalidates Key Apple Multitouch Patent -- For Now

from All Things Digital by John Paczkowski

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which tentatively invalidated Apple’s rubber-banding patent back in October, has taken a similarly dim view of another of the company’s marquee multitouch patents — one that Samsung was found to infringe. Earlier this week, the USPTO tentatively declared invalid U.S. Patent No. 7,479,949 — the so-called “Steve Jobs patent” — rejecting all 20 of its claims. The USPTO’s decision is not final; this is just a preliminary ruling. Still, it’s clearly unwelcome news for Apple.

Air Force Special Operations cancels iPad2 Purchase

Route1 commends U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command on decision to cancel order for Apple iPad2 tablets for use as EFBs

February 28, 2012

By Courtney Howard
Executive Editor

TORONTO, Canada, 28 Feb. 2012. Route1 Inc. (TSXV:ROI), asecurity and identity management company, has commended the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command on cancelling its planned acquisition of Apple iPad2 tablet computers. The iPad2tablet computers were intended to serve as electronic flight bags (EFBs), storing digital versions of paper charts and technical manuals. The Air Force decision came shortly after receiving a query about the inclusion of Russian-developed security and documents reader software specified in procurement documents by NextGov.

The use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) tablets and other mobile computing solutions can pose a serious risk for any military or small business organization with data being stored outside of its network. Once outside the network, good data security relies partially on the underlying security of the device the user is using as their remote interface, says a Route 1 representative.

“We commend the U.S. Air Force for having the foresight to cancel their iPad2 order given the security concerns,” says Brian Brunetti, president of Route1 Inc. “BYOD (bring your own device) to work and mobile computing have the upside of reducing costs and increasing worker flexibility, but there are real and material risks if the appropriate diligence is not performed in establishing security protocols first. We strongly believe that any solution that is based on removing data from behind the organization’s firewalls has substantive risk with data integrity.

“We acknowledge that there are use cases where there is no Internet access and as such accessing data may require it go outside of the organization’s firewalls,” Brunetti adds. “In that case, an organization should consider an architected solution to manage data integrity risk. There is no such thing as perfect security, but simply managing vulnerabilities, especially obvious ones, will increase an organization’s success in protecting its most important asset: information.”

More Codec Stuff... Part A

Most Common Types of Video Files and Containers

Posted by cpapciak on 3-30-2012

A digital video file usually consists of two parts. These two parts are called the “Container” and the “Codec”. The container refers to what the actual file type or extension is, for example: .AVI or .MOV. Now, within each of these containers there is a codec which is like a set of instructions that specifies the specific coding and settings of how the video plays on your player. A few popular codecs you may have seen before are: DV NTSC, DivX, Sony YUV. There are much fewer video file containers than codecs, and each container can have hundreds of codecs within them. Most of the popular computer video software is actually preloaded with several of the most popular and most used codec and container decoders to properly playback popular file formats. Odd or proprietary types of codecs may require downloading specialty made codec packs from external sources in order to play correctly
A Multitude of Formats

There are literally hundreds of video codecs within realm of video formats. Because there are so many possibilities, we may not be able to convert all video files into some of the less popular or proprietary video formats. There are also some video codecs out there that require expensive licensing that we currently can not offer. If you have questions about specific codecs or format containers call and speak to one of our expert video technicians.
Common Video File Formats

Now, let’s go over the most common video file formats. As you probably know, the last 3 or 4 letters on the end of a video file’s name indicates what the format or file container is. Just like .doc indicates a word file, .mov indicates a QuickTime move file; .wmv stands for windows media video and so forth.

Here are the most common video file formats, in alphabetical order:

AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High Definition)

AVCHD (.mts) is a high end, high-definition (HD) format which was originally developed by Sony and Panasonic for high definition home theaters. It’s not really suitable for sharing due to the excessive file sizes, but the format is becoming more and more popular due to HD camcorders using this format. Video in this format would be best suited as the master copy of your video project and serves as a great piece to edit with.

AVCHD is still in its early life as a video format and since it’s still fairly new, compatibility with certain video editing programs may be an issue. Some video editing software applications have begun to support this format but many of can not fully handle it quite yet. Additionally, playback of AVCHD files requires speedy CPUs and a sufficient amount of RAM. That alone makes this format more difficult to work with but, on the other hand, it maintains high quality. As time goes by, it will no doubt become easier to use and be more integrated with editing applications.
.AVI (Audio Video Interlaced)

AVI format is a long-time standard developed by Microsoft and has been around as long as digital video has. AVI files (particularly when uncompressed) tend to be HUGE, way too big for the internet or uploading to someone. AVI is more for the beginning of a video project using it as something to edit off of, not the end. In that sense, it is not really a sharing format. They’ll slide into just about any video editing program and the quality is still high enough to be a master clip.

AVI is windows-based and is virtually universal. The problem is, not all AVIs are created equally and you can still run into compatibility issues due to different codecs on the videos. The important thing to know is that whatever streams inside the container (AVI) is not necessarily the same from one AVI video to the next because the codecs used for compression can vary from file to file. This is because AVI is what’s known as a “container format”, which basically means it contains multiple streams of different type data, including a control track and separate video and audio streams.
.FLV (Flash Video Format)

Flash video (FLV) is the single most common sharing format on the web today. You’ll see the .FLV file extension on videos encoded by Adobe Flash software to play within the Adobe Flash Player. Virtually everyone (99%) has the adobe player installed in their browser and so this has fast become the most common online video viewing platform. Almost all the video sharing sites stream video in flash. You can upload formats other than flash, and those sites will convert it into flash for streaming to the end user. Notable users of the Flash Video format include YouTube, Yahoo! Video, MySpace, and many others.

Many television news operations are also now using Flash Video on their websites as a way to keep viewers up to date at all times. Most of those sites accept uploads in a handful of formats like QuickTime, mpeg4, or wmv, and then they convert it to flash or MP4 before actually putting it out on the net for viewing.

In addition to the nearly universal flash video player, FLV is popular because it gives one of the smallest file sizes after compression yet it retains fairly good quality. This means that the videos load quickly on the internet, and won’t spend a lot of time using up your bandwidth. If you self-host your own videos, you should convert them to flash for greatest compatibility with the highest percentage of Internet viewers.

Although FLV’s are the most common format found on the web today, the standard is moving towards the use of using MP4 H.264 files within flash players as it is compatible with both online and mobile (iPhone), not to mention some HTML5 browser support (Safari, Chrome).
.MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group)

MPEGwas developed by the Motion Picture Experts Group. This international group was established in 1988 to develop standards for digital audio and video formats. However, they’re just one of many groups looking to standardize and develop new technologies for digital video.
MPEG-4 (.MP4)

MPEG-4 is another great sharing format for the internet. It’s a small file size, but looks fairly clean in comparison with other video codecs of the same file size. It’s the video format employed by a growing number of camcorders and cameras and it is highly recommended this day and age.

In fact, YouTube actually recommends that users upload using MP4 format. YouTube accepts multiple formats, and then converts them all to .flv or .mp4 in their back-end for distribution.

As mentioned earlier, more and more online video publishers are moving to MP4 (with H.264 as the video compression codec) as the standard internet sharing format with use within both Flash players as well as HTML5 and most mobile devices. This is the format that we recommend for online delivery of your media.
.WMV (Windows Media Video)

A .WMV file indicates a windows media video file. Windows Media Video is used for both streaming and downloading content via the Internet. Microsoft’s Windows Media Player, an application bundled with Windows operating systems, is built for WMV files. WMV files are of a pretty small file size, actually one of the smallest. As a result of the low file sizes, the videos are compressed so much they start to lose their quality in a hurry. In fact, I’d say the resolution is pretty crummy in comparison to modern codecs. But a tiny file size can be a real advantage in some situations. If you get an email with an actual video attached instead of just a link to a video, it is probably a wmv file. They are the only ones small enough to attach to an email.
.MOV

.MOV is the file extension used to identify an Apple Quick Time Movie. .MOV is an extremely common sharing format, especially among Mac users. It is considered one of the best looking file formats. While MOV files do look great, the files sizes are extremely big. Due to the fact that QuickTime hasn’t been a Mac-only program for quite some time, QuickTime versions and players exist on almost all PCs. The vast majority of the videos we personally upload to the web are QuickTime format, followed by MPEG4.

If you see a video file on your computer labeled MSWMM, be aware that this is a windows movie maker project file and not a video or movie file designed for sharing. MSWMM will only play within Movie Maker. When you want to save your movie to share it, use Movie Maker to convert it into a sharing format, such as .mpeg4 or .wmv. The difference between sharing formats and project file formats confuses many people. No matter what video editing software you use, a project file is designed for working on within the editing program. You must convert the project file to watch it on any other player.

Now, what streams inside the container is not necessarily the same from one avi video to the next as the codecs used for compression can vary. At DVD Your Memories, when you opt for a video to hard drive transfer, we give you your video tapes as video files in AVI format.


About cpapciakAs a blogger of DVD Your Memories, Chris is the most regular blogger, reviewer and coder for this site.



DVD Your Memories was formed in 2006 in San Diego, California. We specialize in converting family memories recorded on older media such as video tapes, film, slides, negatives, photos and all types of audio into digital formats on DVD or hard drives. Personal connections are the most precious treasures in all the world, and preserving them now will help keep them safe for generations. Come visit any one of our stores in California and Colorado and enjoy your memories on DVD.

9df Tracker

StickNFind - Bluetooth Location Sticker

StickNFind: Bluetooth Powered Small Location Stickers

from Slashgeo by Alex

While this is nothing particularly surprising and local location solutions have been using RFID for years, I don't think we mentioned before such a simple solution using Bluetooth. In a Kickstarter-like crowdfunding launch, here's the StickNFind- Bluetooth Powered ultra small Location Stickers.

From CNET: "StickNFind stickers are equipped with Bluetooth low-energy technology. The stickers are about the size of a quarter and weigh well under an ounce. Slap a sticker on anything (or anyone) and then use the accompanying app to figure out where you put them last. Each little tag also has sound and light that can be triggered separately. The StickNFind app can be set to work kind of like a radar or it can send you an alert when an item comes into range. You can also get a warning when an item (like Sir Fluffypants) goes out of range."

Before you ask, from the officlal FAQ: "Range: Approximate 100 Feet with line of sight. Battery: Lasts up-to 1 year based on 30 minutes per day average use."

Merry Chrismas

Nikon .Rrumors Christoph Malin talks about his time-lapse documentary

How Huge This Really Is... Global Mobile Numbers

Here to summarize the main numbers as the end of 2012 globally:

GLOBAL MOBILE NUMBERS 
Human population . . . . . . . . . 7.1 Billion
Mobile subscriptions . . . . . . . 6.7 Billion is 94% per capita
Unique Mobile Users . . . . . . . 4.3 Billion is 61% per capita
Handsets in use . . . . . . . . . . 5.3 Billion
Smartphones . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 Billion is 25% of all handsets
3G Connections . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 Billion is 19% of subscriptions and 25% of handsets
WiFi users on mobile  . . . . . . 1.1 Billion is 16% of subscriptions and 21% of handsets
SMS active users . . . . . . . . . 5.6 Billion is 83% of subscriptions
Voice call users . . . . . . . . . . 5.4 Billion is 81% of subscriptions
Camera users  . . . . . . . . . . . 4.8 Billion is 72% of subscriptions
Mobile Ad audience . . . . . . . . 4.0 Billion is 60% of subscriptions, is 56% of planet
MMS active users . . . . . . . . . 2.9 Billion is 43% of subscriptions and 60% of cameraphone users
News active users . . . . . . . . . 2.3 Billion is 34% of subscriptions
Browser (including WAP) . . . . 2.1 Billion is 31% of subscriptions and 84% of all internet users
Premium SMS . . . . . . . . . . . 1.9 Billion is 28% of subscriptions and 34% of all SMS users
HTML browser 'real internet' . . 1.5 Billion is 22% of subscriptions and 60% of all internet users
Search on mobile . . . . . . . . . 1.3 Billion is 19% of subscriptions and 62% of mobile browser users
Gamers (download/browse) . . 1.2 Billion is 18% of subscribers and 57% of mobile browser users
Apps downloaders . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Billion is 18% of subscribers
Social Networking . . . . . . . . . 1.1 Billion is 16% of subscribers and 53% of mobile browser users
Ringback tone subscribers . . . 1.0 Billion is 15% of subscribers
Source for all the above: TomiAhonen Almanac 2013


The TomiAhonen Almanac 2012 is a massive 190 page volume as ebook/mbook in unrestricted pdf file, formatted for your small screens of your iPhones, Galaxies and Blackberries, to have all the mobile data at your fingerprints. 

Change of Guard at Garmin...

Longtime Garmin CEO Min Kao Steps Down

from All Things Digital by Liz Gannes

Min Kao, the co-founder and CEO of navigation company Garmin, is stepping down at the end of the year. The new head honcho is Clifton Pemble — who joined Garmin as an engineer in 1989, and has most recently been president and COO. Shares of Garmin were trading up slightly this morning. As Arik Hesseldahl recalled this summer, Kao had long resisted the encroachment of smartphones, dismissing them as a commodity business.

Dr. Min Kao co-founded Garmin Corporation with Gary Burrell in October 1989 to integrate Global Positioning System (GPS) technology into navigation devices for multiple markets. Dr. Kao is credited with the breakthrough design and engineering of the GPS software technology that formed the foundation of the original Garmin product line. Today he directs the business development initiatives and strategic planning for all of Garmin worldwide.

Prior to founding Garmin, Dr. Kao served as a systems analyst at Teledyne Systems for inertial, radio navigation and fire control systems. While at Magnavox Advanced Products, he designed the Kalman filter algorithms for Phase II GPS user equipment. He later served as engineering group leader with King Radio Corporation and Allied Signal, where he led the development of the first GPS navigator to be certified by the FAA. Dr. Kao has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from National Taiwan University. His career began at the University of Tennessee where he earned his master’s and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering and was involved in research for NASA and the U.S. Army.

Button for your Life

Activity-Tracking Tech Moves From Wrist to Neck, With Sculley's New Shine Necklace

from All Things Digital by Lauren Goode

Activity-tracking wristbands like the Nike+ FuelBand and the Jawbone Up are becoming all the rage.

But what if they’re just too clunky for you?

That’s the problem former Apple CEO John Sculley and business partner Sonny Vu have been tackling with the Misfit Shine. Under the company name Misfit Wearables, the duo recently came up with a metallic activity tracker the size of a quarter; it can be worn as an elegant bracelet or go almost unnoticed as a pocket clip.

Now, after crossing the $500,000 mark on Indiegogo.com, where Misfit is raising money to fund production of the Shine, Sculley and Vu are moving all that compressed tracking tech from the wrist to the neck. The company plans to make a leather activity-tracking necklace, designed with a small, connective metal pendant that users can click the Shine device onto. You can take a look at the picture above for an idea of what the Shine looks like; Misfit says images of the necklace design aren’t available yet.

Like the Shine wrist gadget, the necklace will then track activity levels, including steps taken, and share the data to apps on the iPhone 4, iPhone 5 and most Android devices. It uses Wi-Fi, not Bluetooth, to share the data, and in addition to tracking basic activity levels, it will record aerobic activities like running, cycling and swimming, since it’s waterproof.

But it doesn’t track sleep patterns, unlike the Jawbone Up, Fitbit or Lark bands, and the company hasn’t integrated any kind of food-monitoring system into the Misfit Shine, either.

“We do think the user experience isn’t complete without great software,” Vu said in an interview with AllThingsD. “But if you don’t wear the product in the first place, there’s no start. There’s no data start. So we really think the whole thing starts with wearability.”

Vu says Misfit plans to sell the necklace accessory for $79 at retail, though preorders on Indiegogo will cost either $49 for just the necklace, or $199 for the Shine-plus-necklace package.

Philips Electronics makes a similar product, called DirectLife, that costs $149 and can be worn as a necklace. But that product requires the user to plug the activity monitor directly into their computer, via USB, to transfer data.

Misfit Wearables expects to ship the Shine in a few months (although, as we have seen with some of these crowdfunded gadgets, delays are always possible).

The start-up is based in San Francisco, and in addition to crowdfunding money for production, is backed by Founders Fund and Khosla Ventures.

Nikon Shutter Replaceable Modules

What is Shutter Count?

Shutter actuation or shutter count are number that represent how many time your camera shutter has actuated, every time your shutter open and close when taking a picture, count a one actuation. Since camera shutter are mechanical part, it will fail to operate someday when it reach it’s maximum actuation, it will worn out just like your shoes, or car’s tire.

It is very important to know your shutter actuation number to prevent the sudden fail while you are working with your camera, especially if you are a pro Photographer. Or you are planning to buy a second hand camera. Here is a link where a professional photographer get it’s shutter broken during an assignment.

Maximum Shutter Actuations Life Prediction:

Nikon D4:
Kevlar / carbon fibre composite shutter with 400,000 exposure durability

Nikon D3, D3x, D3s:
Kevlar / carbon fibre composite shutter with 300,000 exposure durability

Nikon D800/D800E:
Kevlar / carbon fibre composite shutter with 200,000 exposure durability

Nikon D700, Nikon D600:
Kevlar / carbon fibre composite shutter with 150,000 exposure durability *

Nikon D7000, D300s, D300:
Factory tested Shutter life 150,000 actuations

Nikon D5100, D5000, D3100, D3000, D90: 
Factory tested Shutter life 100,000 actuations

Nikon Older Models:
Don’t have enough Information, Like D80 is to be said up to 50000 actuations.  But Most newest model min have 100k actuations tested on the factory.

 If your camera shutter has worn out, you can repair it at your camera service center, it will cost you 100 – 250 $. They will disassemble your camera and replace the shutter with the new one, and reset the shutter count to zero again, and start counting. In other word shutter count is representation of your camera shutter life expectations, not your camera life. After you change your camera shutter you can shoot normal again. Just like your car tire has worn out and you can change a new tire and your car start working again.

Nikon D3 Shutter Unit

Each model, camera actuations is variable  some will have 100k expectancy shutter count, on some pro model such Nikon D3s, it is equip with a Kevlar / carbon fiber composite shutter with 300,000 exposure durability.

Nikon D3s has been tested up to 300.000 shutter actuations

To simply check your Nikon shutter actuations please go this page and upload a file directly from the camera.

Remote Sensing - Corona

IR thermographic technology and the UV inspection technology are complementary inspection technologies. Both are considered Non-Destructive, Remote Sensing, Visual technologies. Together they cover a wider spectral range and provide enough information to maintain a clear view of the assets. In fact, both technologies are required to perform a comprehensive survey towards establishing reliable and efficient predictive maintenance procedures.

Efficient for: transmission distribution,substations, switch gears, motors and in commissioning stages of new installations.

	InfraRed	UltraViolet
	Detects ΔT - Hot Spots – NotCorona!	Detects Corona
	Current Dependent Heavy Line Loading is needed	Voltage dependent (e-field) No line loading needed
	Solar radiation and hot environment can mislead	All lighting & weather conditions
	Detection occurs usually at progressive stage of degradation	Detection at Earlier of Degradation (i.e. Commissioning)

Compass Stuff...

Here is a list of current handheld GPS receivers sporting an electronic compass (most also offer a barometric altimeter):

Model	Type
Garmin Astro 320 dog tracking system	3-axis
Garmin Dakota 20	3-axis
Garmin eTrex 30	3-axis
Garmin fenix	3-axis
Garmin Foretrex 401	2-axis
Garmin GPSMap 62s	3-axis
Garmin GPSMAP 62sc	3-axis
Garmin GPSMap 62st	3-axis
Garmin GPSMAP 62stc	3-axis
Garmin GPSMAP 78s	3-axis
Garmin Montana 600	3-axis
Garmin Montana 650	3-axis
Garmin Montana 650t	3-axis
Garmin Oregon 450	3-axis
Garmin Oregon 450t	3-axis
Garmin Oregon 550	3-axis
Garmin Oregon 550t	3-axis
Garmin Rino 650	3-axis
Garmin Rino 655t	3-axis
Lowrance Endura Sierra	3-axis
Magellan eXplorist 610	3-axis
Magellan eXplorist 710	3-axis
Magellan SwitchUp	3-axis

Video by Vectors

University of Bath develops efficient vector-based video, says pixels are old hat

By Jon Fingas posted Dec 13th, 2012 at 11:45 AM

The pixel does the job for most digital imagery -- it sure makes for a fine shirt -- but it's not so hot for video, where growing resolutions chew up gobs of bandwidth. There may be a wiser strategy coming from the University of Bath, whose researchers have developed a more efficient approach to movie codecs. Their new format uses vectors to render footage with colored contours that demand fewer resources than a dot-by-dot approach. While vector-based rendering isn't original in itself, the researchers' method is supposedly unique in filling the gaps between the contours with the kind of visual quality a pro videographer would crave. The university team is confident enough that it's talking to major companies about using the codec for post-production tools, and sees it spreading to mobile devices where connection speeds and storage are at a premium. It could take years for vector-based video to catch on; if the technology ever upsets the pixel's reign, though, more than a few Vectrex owners may see it as poetic justice.

Apple Achieves Satisfaction as Number 2

Google’s Eric Schmidt On War With Apple, “We’re Clearly Winning”

from Droid Life: A Droid Community Blog by Tim-o-tato

In an hour-long interview with Bloomberg, Google’s Eric Schmidt touched on a few things, namely the ongoing “war” as some would call it with Apple Inc. Luckily for Schmidt, he doesn’t have to do much convincing when says Googleis “winning.” In a recent analysis, it showed Google holding to a strong market share of 72% in Q3, while Apple sat at 14%. Schmidt declared that 1.3 million Android devices are activated daily, a number that only seems to go up and up.
Another interesting subject that was lightly touched on was Google’s overall plan for Android. By creating a free platform that allows hardware makers to gain revenue from, Google takes the initial loss, but knows the overall future profits will outweigh them significantly. By creating a new market for advertisements and other Internet-based services, Android will help usher Google onto the road ahead.

The core strategy is to make a bigger pie. We will end up with a not perfectly controlled and not perfectly managed bigger pie by virtue of open systems.

Classic Eric Schmidt.
Via: Bloomberg

Green Battery

Scientists develop eco battery powered by root-extracted dye

from Engadget by Nicole Lee

Scientists have been figuring out how to develop eco-friendly ways of recharging batteries for years, from harvesting temperature fluctuations to harnessing your fidgets. But perhaps a better solution is to create a different kind of battery altogether; one that uses greener sources instead of finite ingredients like cobalt. That's exactly what the whiz-kids from the City College of New York, Rice University and the US Army Research Laboratory have done with a new lithium-ion battery powered by red dye extracted from madder roots.

Called rose madder or purpurin, the dye was apparently used in ancient civilizations for dying fabrics in oranges, reds and pinks. Fortunately for the future of the battery, it turns out its color molecules are also carriers of carbonyl and hydroxyl groups that make it ripe for use as an electrode and that purpurin is far easier to process than other organic materials: "These aromatic systems are electron-rich molecules that easily coordinate with lithium," said CCNY Professor George John. It'll likely take years before we'll get to the point of mass production of these things, but in the future we could finally say that batteries do indeed grow from trees.

BlueStacks... an interesting threat?

BlueStacks Hits 5M Installs, Rumored To Be Bringing 750K+ Android Apps To Windows RT Devices

from TechCrunch by Rip Empson

It appears that BlueStacks isn’t just a flash in the pan. The Silicon Valley-based startup, which makes software that allows users to run their Android apps on Macs and PCs, said today that it has passed 5 million organic installs through its homepage. Vanity stats like this are annoying, yes, but what’s notable is that BlueStacks hit this milestone in under eight months. And the news comes on top of its recent partnerships with AMD and Asus, which have announced their intention to pre-load BlueStacks’ technology on over 100 million units.

In September, BlueStacks announced a partnership with chipmaker AMD, which brought its app catalog to AMD-powered Windows 7 and Windows 8 machines through the launch of its new app store, AppZone. As Sarah pointed out at the time, much like AppUp, Intel’s app store for PCs that “has been optimized to run on Intel-powered Ultrabooks,” with AppZone, the chipmaker optimized BlueStacks’ technology for AMD GPUs and APUs.

Of course, it was only a matter of time before the chipmakers began implementing the startup’s technology, as AMD was the lead strategic investor in BlueStacks’ $6.4 million series B raise in October of last year. The round brought the company’s total investment to $15 million and saw AMD join investors like Andreessen Horowitz, Ignition Ventures, Citrix and Qualcomm.

It’s unusual for software makers and manufacturers like Citrix, Qualcomm and AMD to show up on the same roster of investors, yet, as Sarah said, it was a demonstration of an eagerness among investors to leverage the Windows ecosystem as a platform to run Android apps.

The partnerships with AMD and Asus and its backing from Qualcomm also set the stage for BlueStacks to team up with additional manufacturers to pre-install its technology on PCs. The big-picture goal for the startup is to help bring the some 750K Android apps to each and every one of the billion-plus PC users out there. It’s a sizable opportunity, another part of the reason investors (and chipmakers) are eager to test the waters.

BlueStacks’ technology allows users to run graphics-intensive Android apps on desktop PCs via its patent-pending “Layercake” technology, which initially enabled Android apps to be compatible with x86-based PCs, followed by Macs, and now includes those developed for ARM processors — Angry Birds Space and Fruit Ninja being two familiar examples. (More on this below.)

The company has been looking to build a developer platform, as well, and has been partnering with the makers of apps like Fruit Ninja, SliceIt!, Townsmen, Evernote, StumbleUpon and Barnes & Noble (Nook). The main selling point being that developers don’t have to modify or port their apps to run them on PCs, which means less heavy lifting for those who have already developed apps for Android.

To this point, HandyGames CEO Christopher Kassulke let it slip last night at Mobile Gaming Europe that HandyGames will be launching their uber popular Clouds and Sheep as a PC game using BlueStacks. And the more big app development houses begin signing on, the more BlueStacks thinks that it’s helping to create a crack in the wall between mobile and PC gaming.

But here’s what could be most exciting for developers (and users) looking at developing for (or buying) Windows mobile devices. The newly released Windows RT, for those unfamiliar, is a special version of Windows 8 built for mobile (specifically ARM) devices — so, really, tablets. If somehow you haven’t noticed, Microsoft has been pushing its new Surface tablets pretty aggressively since their initial release in late October, partly manifesting through that snappy, percussive ad campaign you’ve probably seen by now on the tube. The main mobile OS being offered by the Surface? Windows RT.

As of now, consumers can buy a number of ARM-powered Windows RT devices, and there are more coming. But Surface currently has the highest profile among these tablets and devices, yet, the problem is that they’re not selling as well as Microsoft would have hoped. According to Tech Report, MSFT’s initial order of 4 million Surface devices has been cut in half thanks to slow sales.

Leaving the device itself out of it, probably the biggest reason for this boils down to apps. Compared to iOS and Android, few developers have built native apps for Windows 8. Even if consumers want to buy the Surface, many would rather opt for an Android or iOS device, because they offer far more access to the apps we’ve all grown accustomed to using on a daily basis.

So, naturally, rumors have begun to mount that BlueStacks’ next project will be to make its tech available to Windows RT users. As evidenced in this forum, hilariously, it appears that Microsoft salespeople have even begun to suggest using BlueStacks if users want to buy a Windows device and get access to Android apps.

The Droid Guy was one of the first to pick up on the BlueStacks, Windows RT rumors, as a BlueStacks team member recently divulged in a separate forum that the company was in the process of bringing those 750K+ Android apps to Windows RT. BlueStacks Engineer Deepak Sharma, via The Droid Guy: “We are considering offering BlueStacks for Windows RT next year.”

BlueStacks team members approached by TechCrunch would not confirm that this is in fact happening, but from what we’ve been able to gather from other sources, it seems there’s a good chance this could happen in early 2013.

However, as The Droid Guy points out, Microsoft’s Windows Defender could pose problems in this regard, as it could force BlueStacks to release its own app on the Windows Store, which, knowing Microsoft, would likely be disapproved. Until then, BlueStacks works well with Windows 8 Pro-based tablets and devices, but if BlueStacks is able to produce an ARM version of its technology, this could be a big boost both for the startup and for those looking for access to a viable app platform on their new Windows device.

With support for both ARM and Windows 8 Pro, developers could significantly increase their distribution without having to develop native apps for Windows devices — great for them but, again, not something that Microsoft is likely to get too jazzed about.

For more, find BlueStacks at home here.