Here’s Mary Meeker’s Big Deck On Key Internet Trends
Friday, May 30, 2014
Ms Meeker's Take on Internet Stuff
End of Immersive Media $90k cameras - Adios!
Giroptic 360-Degree Camera Smashes Past Half A Million Raised On Kickstarter
The nascent market for 360-degree cameras is getting more crowded. Meet Giroptic, which joins the likes of Bublcam, Centr Cam and Panono in building hardware to capture a more fuller picture of what’s going on around you.
Giroptic is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to put its prototype egg-shaped 360-degree cam into production and has smashed past its original goal of $150,000 — with more than $610,000 raised at the time of writing and still a full 36 days left on its campaign.
How does Giroptic differ from rival 360-degree cams? It’s offering 360 HD video (1080p “equivalent image quality”) — including real-time streaming — which sets it apart from Panono, which only does photos at present.
Giroptic also stitches the images it captures together inside the device itself to make a real-time panorama. The actual captured portion is 150 degrees from top to bottom out of a possible 180-degrees, so it’s not getting everything — typically there’s a blind spot beneath the device, as if a football had had its base sliced off.
This is because Giroptic has three 185-degree fish-eye lenses mounted near the top. Bublcam bests this viewing field with a true spherical 360-degree view (with zero blind spots), thanks to four 190-degree lenses, but it does not do the stitching on the device itself.
And then Centr Cam takes a smaller slice still — offering a 56-degree vertical field of view vs 150 degrees on Giroptic – so it’s capturing a lot less.
(Some examples of 360 footage captured with Giroptic can be viewed here.)
All that might sound like splitting hairs, and in many ways it is. But with multiple players scrambling to build into a new and novel space those hair-splitting tech decisions are likely to make the difference between success and failure.
Giroptic’s egg-shaped offering is certainly enjoying some early success, with the French team behind it smashing past their original Kickstarter goal, as noted above.
“The additional funds raised will help us improve the camera resolution & bring more additional functions to the device,” CEO Richard Ollier told TechCrunch. “It is already loaded with GPS, WiFi, Gyroscope, 3 microphones, but we see many opportunities in our backers comments & suggestions.”
The team has a background in 360 imagery, having spent six years developing 360 cameras for real estate and forensic use-cases.
“We created over the years a team of high level engineers (optic / electronic / firmware / mechanic) who focused on 360 imaging,” said Ollier. “We managed to get our 360 video stitching technology fit into an egg sized device and decided then to bring it to the masses.”
One neat feature Giroptic’s team have come up with is a lightbulb mounting so the camera can easily be installed in a room when you’re away as a home video surveillance system. The device then draws power from the lightbulb socket, and uses the on-board Wi-Fi to stream imagery to your phone/home network.
They’ve also made Giroptic waterproof (IPX8 rated) — and offer a pair of cute lens goggles as an accessory to improve underwater optics.
Various leisure and travel use-cases (especially) are envisaged for 360-degree cams. But perhaps the most topically interesting are the possibilities for immersive viewing when captured panorama content is combined with a VR headset such as Oculus Rift.
Giroptic is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to put its prototype egg-shaped 360-degree cam into production and has smashed past its original goal of $150,000 — with more than $610,000 raised at the time of writing and still a full 36 days left on its campaign.
How does Giroptic differ from rival 360-degree cams? It’s offering 360 HD video (1080p “equivalent image quality”) — including real-time streaming — which sets it apart from Panono, which only does photos at present.
Giroptic also stitches the images it captures together inside the device itself to make a real-time panorama. The actual captured portion is 150 degrees from top to bottom out of a possible 180-degrees, so it’s not getting everything — typically there’s a blind spot beneath the device, as if a football had had its base sliced off.
This is because Giroptic has three 185-degree fish-eye lenses mounted near the top. Bublcam bests this viewing field with a true spherical 360-degree view (with zero blind spots), thanks to four 190-degree lenses, but it does not do the stitching on the device itself.
And then Centr Cam takes a smaller slice still — offering a 56-degree vertical field of view vs 150 degrees on Giroptic – so it’s capturing a lot less.
(Some examples of 360 footage captured with Giroptic can be viewed here.)
All that might sound like splitting hairs, and in many ways it is. But with multiple players scrambling to build into a new and novel space those hair-splitting tech decisions are likely to make the difference between success and failure.
Giroptic’s egg-shaped offering is certainly enjoying some early success, with the French team behind it smashing past their original Kickstarter goal, as noted above.
“The additional funds raised will help us improve the camera resolution & bring more additional functions to the device,” CEO Richard Ollier told TechCrunch. “It is already loaded with GPS, WiFi, Gyroscope, 3 microphones, but we see many opportunities in our backers comments & suggestions.”
The team has a background in 360 imagery, having spent six years developing 360 cameras for real estate and forensic use-cases.
“We created over the years a team of high level engineers (optic / electronic / firmware / mechanic) who focused on 360 imaging,” said Ollier. “We managed to get our 360 video stitching technology fit into an egg sized device and decided then to bring it to the masses.”
One neat feature Giroptic’s team have come up with is a lightbulb mounting so the camera can easily be installed in a room when you’re away as a home video surveillance system. The device then draws power from the lightbulb socket, and uses the on-board Wi-Fi to stream imagery to your phone/home network.
They’ve also made Giroptic waterproof (IPX8 rated) — and offer a pair of cute lens goggles as an accessory to improve underwater optics.
Various leisure and travel use-cases (especially) are envisaged for 360-degree cams. But perhaps the most topically interesting are the possibilities for immersive viewing when captured panorama content is combined with a VR headset such as Oculus Rift.
Giroptic is also offering its own 360-degree player software for viewing on more traditional devices including Macs, PCs, smartphones and tablets.
As well as 360 video, the device can also be used to capture regular footage from a single lens and snap still photos. It can also be controlled via a smartphone so you can snap a group shot remotely.
What about price then? All the very early bird pledges for Giroptic have been snapped up, so the lowest current price for Giroptic is $329. Which is certainly not cheap for a camera. But it’s considerably cheaper — less than half the price — than Bublcam.
It’s also not that much more expensive than Centr Cam, yet looks more fully featured. The team is aiming to ship to backers in November, which also bests the shipping schedule of Centr Cam. So if you’re in the market for this type of 360cam kit Giroptic may well hit the sweet spot.
Toughen-up for Daily Use...
Samsung Galaxy S5 Active Amps Up the Tough
AT&T and Samsung today announced the Galaxy S5 Active, a ruggedized variant of Samsung's flagship smartphone. The GS5 Active carries over many of the GS5's key specs, including the 5.1-inch FHD screen, 2.5GHz quad-core processor, 16-megapixel camera, and built-in heart rate monitor with S Health software. The GS5 Active has, however, been wrapped in a tougher exterior to provide extra protection from the elements. The GS5 Active meets mil-spec 810G, which means it can withstand high heat, extreme cold, shock, vibration, high altitude, and humidity. The GS5 Active can also sit in up to 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. Samsung added one neat software trick to the GS5 Active: a press of the convenience key on the side will launch all the apps related to outdoor activity on a single screen. The Samsung Galaxy S5 Active costs $200 with a new two-year contract, $27.50 per month on AT&T Next 18, or $35.75 per month on AT&T Next 12. It can be ordered online and in stores beginning today.Saturday, May 24, 2014
Smartphone Stats may 2014
Apple remains top vendor among US sellers with 37 percent share
According to a new report issued by Counterpoint, the US market for smartphones is near the saturation point -- with 87 percent of mobile phone owners now using smartphones, as of the end of the first calendar quarter of the year. Overall growth in the US market was pegged at seven percent, with 75 percent of the smartphones sold capable of using LTE high-speed cellular data. Apple remains the top US vendor.
In yet another indicator of the disparity between shipments to retailers and sales to end users, Samsung was reported to have shipped the most handsets, but Apple continued to dominate as the top-selling vendor. The iOS platform was used by 36.9 percent of smartphone owners, the largest share for an individual manufacturer.
Amongst the four top carriers in the US, Apple averaged just over half of all sales at AT&T and Verizon and about 27 percent of sales at T-Mobile and Sprint. Samsung was consistently just under 30 percent apart from T-Mobile, where it averaged 24 percent. By platform, iOS is behind the combined Android shipment numbers, 37 percent to 59 percent -- but the iOS platform has been gaining strength in the US market in recent quarters, and will likely jump again when the next iPhone is announced.
In yet another indicator of the disparity between shipments to retailers and sales to end users, Samsung was reported to have shipped the most handsets, but Apple continued to dominate as the top-selling vendor. The iOS platform was used by 36.9 percent of smartphone owners, the largest share for an individual manufacturer.
Amongst the four top carriers in the US, Apple averaged just over half of all sales at AT&T and Verizon and about 27 percent of sales at T-Mobile and Sprint. Samsung was consistently just under 30 percent apart from T-Mobile, where it averaged 24 percent. By platform, iOS is behind the combined Android shipment numbers, 37 percent to 59 percent -- but the iOS platform has been gaining strength in the US market in recent quarters, and will likely jump again when the next iPhone is announced.
Usage studies also suggest that the iPhone's actual share is closer to 53 percent, with all combined Android usage at 44.5 percent, again hinting at a discrepancy in relying on shipment figures to determine marketshare.
One possible surprise is the very slow but steady growth of Windows Mobile, which is approaching four percent of US share. The smartphone platform appears to be picking up some steam following the departure of former CEO Steve Ballmer, though its tablet sector continues to be mired in consumer apathy.
Usage studies, however, still peg the combined Windows Mobile and BlackBerry smartphone platforms at around 1.8 percent actual US end-user activity. The Counterpoint study notes that 70 percent of all LTE-capable smartphones sold in the US market come from either Apple or Samsung.
Read more: http://www.electronista.com/articles/14/05/21/apple.remains.top.vendor.among.us.sellers.with.37.percent.share/#ixzz32dx8qWrD
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
ebee - Swiss quality
The eBee Ag is lightweight and highly durable and features a wide range of camera options and fully autonomous operation – flying, acquiring images, and landing itself.
eBee Ag Features:
1. Wide choice of cameras
The eBee Ag features a range of camera options to suit different applications, from biomass estimation to yield monitoring and leaf area indexing. It is supplied with a customized Canon S110 NIR, however customers can also choose a customised S110 RE (red edge) version, a S110 RGB, or the Airinov multiSPEC 4C (offering four distinct bands with no spectral overlap).
2. Reliable
The eBee Ag’s onboard artificial intelligence and robust lightweight construction ensure it will survive numerous flights (and landings), thus safeguarding a customer’s investment.
3. Easy to use
The eBee Ag is a fully autonomous drone. Customers simply select the area they want to map (using the supplied eMotion 2 software), launch the drone by throwing it into the air, and the eBee flies, acquires images, and lands all by itself.
4. Complete solution
The eBee Ag is supplied with two advanced software packages: eMotion 2 for flight planning and control; and Postflight Terra 3D photogrammetry software for post-flight image processing and analysis. Postflight Terra 3D can be used to produce false-colour orthomosaics and 3D models. Plus it includes a handy index computation tab, which allows customers to select a band, calculate NDVI, or input custom formulas in order to create the exact maps they require.
With its maximum flight time of 45 minutes, the eBee Ag can photograph areas of up to 1,000 ha (2,470 ac) in a single flight. Its default 12 MP NIR camera is capable of shooting aerial imagery at down to 2 cm (0.7 in) / pixel. These images are then easily transformed into false-colour orthomosaics using Postflight Terra 3D software, with accuracy of down to 3 cm (1.18 in). This market-leading performance brings farmers the data they need to monitor crops more precisely, feed other precision agriculture technologies, and continue improving their management decisions.
Availability: The eBee Ag is available to order from mid-April, 2014 via senseFly’s network of approved resellers.
- See more at: http://www.uasvision.com/2014/04/17/sensefly-announces-ebee-ag-aerial-imaging-uas-for-precision-agriculture/#sthash.yiR5WZJI.dpuf
We believe we may have a problem and we should do an update... for like the 1,000th time...?
Valued Esri Customer,
This email provides the information necessary to
download, install, and authorize the ArcGIS 10.2.2 software. You will need the
information below during the software installation.
ArcGIS 10.2.2:
The ArcGIS 10.2.2 setup package is designed to detect and
upgrade an existing installation of the same ArcGIS 10.1 (including SP1), 10.2
and 10.2.1 product. The settings for the installation location, license manager
(for Concurrent Use), or authorization
information (for Single Use or ArcGIS Server products) are retained in
the upgrade. See the installation guide for more information on the
installation upgrades, new installations, or installations over versions
previous to 10.1.
Important! Oracle Geodatabase users, you must install the
required ArcGIS 10.2.2 for Desktop, Engine, Server Oracle Geodatabase Object
Schema Update and Editing Patch after installing ArcGIS 10.2.2. This patch
resolves a critical issue where users are unable to create new feature classes
or modify their existing schema (see KB article 42335 for additional
information - http://support.esri.com/en/knowledgebase/techarticles/detail/42335;
this information applies to 10.2.2 also).
The issue only occurs with Oracle geodatabases that have existed at 10.0 at some point: Oracle geodatabases that were upgraded from a previous release to ArcGIS 10.0,or Oracle geodatabases created with the ArcGIS 10.0 release. To obtain the patches, see:
The issue only occurs with Oracle geodatabases that have existed at 10.0 at some point: Oracle geodatabases that were upgraded from a previous release to ArcGIS 10.0,or Oracle geodatabases created with the ArcGIS 10.0 release. To obtain the patches, see:
NOTE Existing ArcGIS 10.2 and 10.2.1 authorization
numbers will work with ArcGIS 10.2.2.
ArcGIS 10.2.2 for Single Use users:
If ArcGIS 10.2.2 will be installed on a different machine
than where ArcGIS 10.1, 10.2 or 10.2.1 is currently installed, and you wish to
use the existing ArcGIS 10.1, 10.2 or 10.2.1 authorization for ArcGIS 10.2.2,
the ArcGIS 10.1, 10.2, or 10.2.1 product
must first be deauthorized before authorizing the ArcGIS 10.2.2
installation.
Obtaining Software Authorization Numbers:
If needed, the account's primary maintenance contact can
obtain available authorization numbers from the Customer Care site http://customers.esri.com; click
'Authorization and Provisioning', then under Authorizations, click a product
name to obtain its authorization number. The License version on authorizations
eligible for use with ArcGIS 10.2.2 will display as 10.1-10.2 on the
Authorizations and Provisioning portlet. For those outside the U.S., please
contact your local distributor about your authorization numbers.
Customer Care Site Changes at 10.2.2:
For this early release, the download portlet will display
version 10.2.1 and 10.2.2 as "Latest Release" for distributors and
partners. Once the update is generally available to all eligible users, the
"Latest Release" will display as 10.2.2 only.
Your Esri Software can be downloaded directly through the
Esri Customer Care Portal.
Thank you for using Esri products!
Sincerely,
Esri Customer Service
SONY's Action-Cam with a Lens.... gets an Update
Sony QX10 And QX100 Receive Version 3.0 Firmware Upgrade With Quicker NFC Connect Times And "Half-Press" To Focus
It doesn't matter which phone a Sony QX10 or QX100 owner uses, these cameras are better. The drawback is that the user experience is nothing short of awkward. One particular issue is slow NFC connection times, making it challenging to capture spontaneous shots (and aren't those the best kind?). Fortunately, this is the type of problem an update can address. Firmware version 3.0 is now available for both models, doing precisely that.
Done With This Post? You Might Also Like These:
- Sony QX10 And QX100 Camera Firmware Update 2.0 Adds 1080p Video Recording, Higher ISO Options
- [Update: It's Rolling Out Today] Android 4.4.1 Will Improve The Nexus 5's Camera, Update Expected To Roll Out Over The Next Couple Of Days
- ASUS PadFone 2 Updated To v10.4.12.24, Includes Bug Fixes And Lots Of Software Improvements
- Asus PadFone2 Updated To V10.4.16.8 With A Few Important Tweaks, Full ROM Downloads Available
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