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Sandy Pentland is using data gathered by cell phones to learn about human behavior.
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| Who: Sandy Pentland, MIT Definition: Personal reality mining infers human relationships and behavior by applying data-mining algorithms to information collected by cell-phone sensors that can measure location, physical activity, and more. Impact: Models generated by analyzing data from both individuals and groups could enable automated security settings, smart personal assistants, and monitoring of personal and community health. Context: Cell phones are now sophisticated enough to collect and analyze data on personal behavior, and researchers are developing techniques that allow them to effectively sort through such information. |
Every time you use your cell phone, you leave behind a few bits of information. The phone pings the nearest cell-phone towers, revealing its location. Your service provider records the duration of your call and the number dialed.
Some people are nervous about trailing digital bread crumbs behind them. Sandy Pentland, however, revels in it. In fact, the MIT professor of media arts and sciences would like to see phones collect even more information about their users, recording everything from their physical activity to their conversational cadences. With the aid of some algorithms, he posits, that information could help us identify things to do or new people to meet. It could also make devices easier to use--for instance, by automatically determining security settings. More significant, cell-phone data could shed light on workplace dynamics and on the well-being of communities. It could even help project the course of disease outbreaks and provide clues about individuals' health. Pentland, who has been sifting data gleaned from mobile devices for a decade, calls the practice "reality mining."
Reality mining, he says, "is all about paying attention to patterns in life and using that information to help [with] things like setting privacy patterns, sharing things with people, notifying people--basically, to help you live your life."
Researchers have been mining data from the physical world for years, says Alex Kass, a researcher who leads reality-mining projects at Accenture, a consulting and technology services firm. Sensors in manufacturing plants tell operators when equipment is faulty, and cameras on highways monitor traffic flow. But now, he says, "reality mining is getting personal."
Within the next few years, Pentland predicts, reality mining will become more common, thanks in part to the proliferation and increasing sophistication of cell phones. Many handheld devices now have the processing power of low-end desktop computers, and they can also collect more varied data, thanks to devices such as GPS chips that track location. And researchers such as Pentland are getting better at making sense of all that information.
To create an accurate model of a person's social network, for example, Pentland's team combines a phone's call logs with information about its proximity to other people's devices, which is continuously collected by Bluetooth sensors. With the help of factor analysis, a statistical technique commonly used in the social sciences to explain correlations among multiple variables, the team identifies patterns in the data and translates them into maps of social relationships. Such maps could be used, for instance, to accurately categorize the people in your address book as friends, family members, acquaintances, or coworkers. In turn, this information could be used to automatically establish privacy settings--for instance, allowing only your family to view your schedule. With location data added in, the phone could predict when you would be near someone in your network. In a paper published last May, Pentland and his group showed that cell-phone data enabled them to accurately model the social networks of about 100 MIT students and professors. They could also precisely predict where subjects would meet with members of their networks on any given day of the week.
Genetic linkage occurs when particular genetic loci or alleles for genes are inherited jointly. Genetic loci on the same chromosome are physically connected and tend to segregate together during meiosis, and are thus genetically linked. Alleles for genes on different chromosomes are usually not linked, due to independent assortment of chromosomes during meiosis.
Because there is some crossing over of DNA when the chromosomes segregate, alleles on the same chromosome can be separated and go to different daughter cells. There is a greater probability of this happening if the alleles are far apart on the chromosome, as it is more likely that a cross-over will occur between them.
The relative distance between two genes can be calculated using the offspring of an organism showing two linked genetic traits, and finding the percentage of the offspring where the two traits do not run together. The higher the percentage of descendants that does not show both traits, the further apart on the chromosome they are.
Among individuals of an experimental population or species, some phenotypes or traits occur randomly with respect to one another in a manner known as independent assortment. Today scientists understand that independent assortment occurs when the genes affecting the phenotypes are found on different chromosomes or separated by a great enough distance on the same chromosome that recombination occurs at least half of the time.
An exception to independent assortment develops when genes appear near one another on the same chromosome. When genes occur on the same chromosome, they are usually inherited as a single unit. Genes inherited in this way are said to be linked, and are referred to as "linkage groups." For example, in fruit flies the genes affecting eye color and wing length are inherited together because they appear on the same chromosome.
But in many cases, even genes on the same chromosome that are inherited together produce offspring with unexpected allele combinations. This results from a process called crossing over. At the beginning of normal meiosis, a chromosome pair (made up of a chromosome from the mother and a chromosome from the father) intertwine and exchange sections or fragments of chromosome. The pair then breaks apart to form two chromosomes with a new combination of genes that differs from the combination supplied by the parents. Through this process of recombining genes, organisms can produce offspring with new combinations of maternal and paternal traits that may contribute to or enhance survival.
Genetic linkage was first discovered by the British geneticists William Bateson and Reginald Punnett shortly after Mendel's laws were rediscovered.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Karyotype.png/280px-Karyotype.png&imgrefurl=http://tech1207.blogspot.com/2007_12_31_archive.html&h=301&w=280&sz=48&hl=en&start=53&um=1&tbnid=FvfFhq69FoJqTM:&tb
AT&T today announced plans to complete its HSUPA (High-Speed Uplink Packet Access) network by the middle of the year. The AT&T 3G network now delivers typical downlink speeds ranging between 600 kbps to 1.4 Mbps, as well as faster uplink speeds, ranging from 500 and 800 kbps.
The deployment of HSUPA this year is the next step in the evolution of AT&T's 3G network, with further enhancements and speed boosts expected in the near future.
"Fast wireless broadband is the foundation for a whole range of new and emerging applications that our customers are adopting, including everything from social networking to sending live video and large business files," said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO for AT&T's wireless unit. "With these aggressive initiatives, we're expanding the scope and the speed of our 3G capabilities, connecting people with their world and enabling more customers to do more with their wireless devices, wherever they may be.
This year's HSUPA deployment will complete the transition of the AT&T 3G network to High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) standards.
http://www.mobiledia.com/news/64870.html
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Buying a TV today isn't what it used to be. A few years ago, you had to choose between a CRT and... another CRT; there wasn't a lot of choice. Granted there were front projectors and RPTVs (rear-projection) back then but they never caught the public's imagination or enjoyed mainstream success. These days, there's a new wave of slim, sexy, wall mounting panels competing furiously for that space where your CRT once stood, all of them claiming to be your best viewing companion for many years to come. With so many different features and technology on offer, how can you find that perfect partner?
LG’s 50PG60 Wins CES 2008 ‘Best of Innovations’, PG60 Series Features THX Display and ISF Certifications
Slim design, advanced calibration options, wireless connectivity and invisible speakers underscore LG Electronics’ 2008 plasma HDTV innovations. The 50-inch model of the flagship PG60 series is the CES 2008 “Best of Innovations” video display honouree, singled out for its intuitive styling, advanced display technologies and consumer benefits.
All four series, including eight new models, six with “Full HD” 1080p display capability, are being demonstrated publicly for the first time at the 2008 International CES®, LG Electronics booth #8214, Central Hall, Las Vegas Convention Centre.
“Home theatre enthusiasts are continuing to drive growth in plasma HDTVs, specifically in larger screen sizes, and we are committed to serving this market by introducing seven new 50- and 60-inch models,” said Anthony Yang, general product manager for Digital Display at LG Electronics. “Our 2008 line delivers what plasma HDTV consumers are looking for – a slim and stylish design with premium picture and an enhanced sound quality.”
LG’s flagship plasma lines, the PG70 and PG60 series, incorporate a slim, elegant single-layer design. The single layer design mocks the appearance of a pane of glass creating a sleek, sophisticated look to complement any home décor. It also has a non-reflective internal cell structure to help minimize excessive glare typically caused by harsh ambient light.
The entire stylish line includes LG’s new invisible speaker system adding to its polished look. This unique system incorporates speaker actuators around the perimeter of the bezel, eliminating traditional speaker drivers and their associated grills. This not only allows for a sleek finished look, but also offers a wider sweet spot by creating a virtual “wall” of sound.
What’s more, LG’s new “Clear Voice” technology automatically enhances the sound frequency range of the dialogue even when background noise swells.
For those seeking an advanced picture quality, all LG 1080p plasma models feature Image Science Foundation Certified Calibration Configuration (ISFccc), providing custom video display calibration to deliver superior picture quality for an enhanced viewing experience. LG Electronics is also the first mainstream consumer electronics company to achieve THX Display Certification for its plasma HDTVs (models 60PG60 and 50PG60*). As the industry benchmark in video image quality, THX Display Certification promotes an HDTV that can present HD and standard definition video content at maximum resolution with the correct color and light levels. (Please see separate news release for details on picture quality and calibration).
LG Electronics is a founding member of the Plasma Display Coalition.
THE NEW PLASMA: DISTINCTIVE, SIMPLE ELEGANCE
• PG70 Series (Sizes: 50- and 60-inch) – LG’s “Full HD” 1080p wireless-ready PG70 plasma series delivers a high-quality home entertainment experience in 50- and 60-inch screen sizes. With an optional transmission component, consumers can eliminate cords using 802.11n wireless network technology. THX Display certification, while not yet finalized, is expected for these two models, planned for third-quarter availability. Other features include: o 30:000:1 contrast ratio
o 100,000-hour panel (approximately 30 years)
o Dual XD Engine
o ISFccc Calibration Ready
o THX Display Certification*
o Four HDMI 1.3 with Deep Color, USB 2.0 and AV inputs
• PG60 Series (Sizes: 50- and 60-inch) – As the CES 2008 “Best of Innovations” video display honouree, LG’s “Full HD” 1080p PG60 plasma series delivers a high-quality home entertainment experience in 50- and 60-inch screen sizes. Viewers enjoy startling clarity and unprecedented detail with deeper black levels and superior shadow detail. Slim design and superior picture and sound performance make the PG60 an HDTV that can sit comfortably in any room of the home. Other features include: o 30:000:1 contrast ratio
o 100,000-hour panel (approximately 30 years)
o Dual XD Engine
o ISFccc Calibration Ready
o THX Display Certification*
o Four HDMI 1.3 with Deep Color, USB 2.0 and AV inputs
• PG30 Plasma HDTV Series (Sizes: 50- and 60-inch) -The stylish PG30 is perfect for viewing sports or the latest action-packed movies. Its “Full HD” 1080p resolution and a 30,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio provide vibrant colours and deeper blacks. Its slim depth, high-gloss finish and LG’s invisible speaker design augment its unprecedented detail and startling clarity. Other features include:o 100,000-hour panel (approximately 30 years)
o Three HDMI 1.3 with Deep Color
o Clear Voice technology to enhance dialogue when background noise swells
o Slim Depth (84mm)
• PG20 Series (Sizes: 42- and 50-inch) – Design- and style-conscious consumers will appreciate the PG20’s ability to complement virtually any décor. The units are uncommonly slim at 84mm, and built with LG’s invisible speaker system. The PG20 is loaded with advanced technology and user-friendly functionality, including a 15:000:1 contrast ratio that allows for deeper blacks. Other features include:o 100,000-hour panel (approximately 30 years)
o Three HDMI 1.3 with Deep Color
o Clear Voice technology to enhance dialogue when background noise swells
o 720p HD Resolution
http://uk.lge.com/about/press_release/detail/PRE%7CMENU_5557_1.jhtml
A supersonic bullet is fired with a record-breaking 10 megajoules of muzzle energy.
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| Show of force: A shockwave is produced (above) as a supersonic bullet emerges from the navy's electromagnetic railgun, which was tested late last month. Credit: U.S. Navy | ||||
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Last week at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, in Dahlgren, VA, a seven-pound bullet emerged from a truck-sized contraption at seven times the speed of sound and sent a visible shockwave through the air before crashing into a metal bunker filled with sand. With 10.6 megajoules of kinetic energy, this aluminum slug was propelled not by explosives but by an electric field, making this the most powerful electromagnetic railgun ever fired. The device is part of the navy's railgun development program.
While propellant-driven shells have been mainstays of naval warships for the past hundred years, the cost and safety issues related to storing explosive materials have driven engineers to seek alternatives like the electromagnetic railgun. "There are physical limits to what you can do with gunpowder," says Charles Garnett, the manager at Dahlgren, referring to the maximum velocities that explosions can produce. A railgun could eventually send a 40-pound slug 200 miles in six minutes--10 times the range of the navy's primary surface support gun, the MK 45--and it could be used to support Marine troops engaged in land-based operations.
"A lot of people think a railgun is not going to make a lot of noise," Garnett says. "It's electrically fired, and they expect a whoosh and no sound." In reality, when the bullet emerges, it lets out a crack as electricity arcs through the air like lightning.
The railgun gets its name from two highly conductive rails, which form a complete electric circuit once the metal projectile and a sliding armature are put in place. When current starts flowing through the device, it creates a powerful electromagnetic field that accelerates the projectile down the barrel at 40,000 gs, launching it in a matter of milliseconds. Aerodynamic drag along with a million amps of current heats the bullet to 1,000 °C, igniting aluminum particles and leaving a trail of flame in its wake. The researchers estimate the muzzle energy based on the mass and velocity of the bullet in the barrel and from precisely timed x-ray snapshots during flight.
"What's important," says Garnett, "is that this is the first step on the way to building a tactically viable system with 64 megajoules of energy."
The previous experimental railgun record of 9 megajoules had been set 15 years ago by a team at the University of Texas at Austin funded by the U.S. Army. But the Texas railgun was operating at the upper end of its capacity, while Garnett says that the new gun has been designed to handle up to 32 megajoules, and the ultimate goal of the project is to build a 64-megajoule model.
http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/20164/?a=fSony has recently upgraded their D3000 with the new Bravia D3500 series which includes a number of upgrades and enhancements over the previous models, brining the overall spec up to a higher end. The Sony KDL40D3500 is a middle range 40-inch LCD HDTV with a full HD 1080p screen for the highest HD format, offering some great features at a very reasonable price.
The Sony KDL40D3500 might still cost more than some other manufacturers, but they might not be so well equipped as the KDL-40D3500. The KDL40D3500 provides a great high to middle range 40-inch full HD HDTV at around £750 ($1500), much cheaper than their KDL40W3000.
The 40-inch Sony KDL40D3500 provides many great new features commonly only found on top of the range models, such as a full HD screen, 24p support for true film frame rates, a high dynamic contrast ratio of 16,000:1 for superior colours and black levels. Along with Sony’s Bravia Engine to enhance image quality, contrast and reduce noise, and Live colour creation provide very impressive image quality. TrustedReviews say, another benefit of the KDL40D3500: its exceptional sharpness. Fine details are rendered with total, noiseless precision, giving the image exactly the sort of ‘snap’ we love to see with our HD stuff. Plus the image tends to look more three-dimensional thanks to all the background detail that’s resolved.
http://www.hdtvlounge.net/sony/kdl40d3500-review/In case you’re wondering where I’ve disappeared to (given the lack of updates over the last couple of weeks), I’ve just come back from attending the IFA – one of the largest consumer electronics trade show in the world – held this year in Berlin, Germany where I checked out the latest and upcoming HDTVs on offer from various manufacturers. Naively I brought my calibration equipment and DVE HD/ HQV discs along to the show, but unfortunately I had no chance to use them (my intention was to at least test some scaling/ deinterlacing). No remote was available with most of the television sets on display; and if it was, the user menus were in German and beyond the comprehension of my embarrassing 4-word vocabulary of ‘ya‘, ‘nein‘, ‘danke‘ and ‘bitte‘.
So, the only television on which I could perform my wizardry was a 14″ CRT from Nokia (yeah Nokia) in a London Heathrow stopover hotel on my way home. But as the television had developed severe screenburn from the static hotel menu, I saw no point in wasting my time. 
Enough lame jokes, let’s get on with what I saw at IFA Berlin 2007. Please bear in mind that I witnessed these televisions in their uncalibrated form without any control over ambient light, so my comments on picture quality may not be representative of the maximum potential of these panels in your typical home environment. I’ll give a rundown on what each manufacturer is up to, split over a few news posts for easier digestion.
Sharp Electronics seized the moment to unveil – in every literal sense – their super-thin LCD TV prototype that’s dubbed as “The Future Of LCD TV”. Boasting a contrast ratio of 100,000:1 and a thickness of only 29mm across the deepest part, these babies were simply the most stunning out of all the displays I’d seen at IFA Berlin 2007. It was a timely injection of excitement into a trade show surprisingly devoid of the eagerly anticipated OLED TVs.
One prototype was exhibited on a rotating stand, which presented me with the perfect opportunity to assess off-axis viewing from where I was sitting at the press conference. I hope the following video that I took can demonstrate to you how thin the profile and how amazing the viewing angle of the television was (it’s Toshiyuki Tajima, CEO of Sharp Electronics Europe, speaking in the background):
If there’s one HDTV that I’d like to smuggle home from Berlin, this would be it… I’m very intrigued by how Sharp managed to achieve such a high contrast ratio without employing LED technology (that’s what I gathered from a few Sharp personnel). Unfortunately at this moment availability and pricing details remain unknown.
Getting down to earth with television models that are more imminent, here are some pictures of the new Sharp LC42XL2E and LC42X20E which are positioned as full HD LCD TVs that are slimmer and more environmentally friendly than their competitors. Both will feature 24p support, although the former will offer the added advantages of 100Hz motion and 10-bit signal processing.
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| Sharp LC42XL2E: 3 x HDMI 1.3, 24p, 100Hz, 10-bit processing |
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| Sharp LC42X20E: signature "yawning" bottom bezel with silver speaker strip |
Over the next few days I’ll post my impressions, photos and videos of other HDTVs such as Sony’s W3000/ X3000/ X3500 series, Toshiba’s Z series, Samsung’s local dimming LED, Pioneer’s 1080p Kuro, Philips Aurea and many more, so stay tuned.
http://www.hdtvtest.co.uk/news/2007/09/03/sharp-lc42xl2e-lc42x20e/French car-part manufacturer Faurecia has outlined plans for a new range of green car interior fabrics and materials derived from plant fibres.
According to Reuters' reports the company is investigating using coconut fibres in the shell of the car interior, hemp as lining for car doors, bamboo for durable seats and kenaf to strengthen dashboards.
Philippe Aumont, product planning vice president at Faurecia, said natural fibres could not only prove aesthetically superior to plastic interiors, but the sustainability factor was also likely to prove popular.
He also downplayed concern that demand for plant fibres from the automotive industry would lead to increased food prices in the same way as demand for fuel crops has reportedly limited the agricultural land available for food crops.
"Land needs primarily to be used to grow crops to feed humans and animals. But what is not used from the crop - like the core of a corn cob - can be used for its fibre," he told Reuters.
In related news, Ferrari attempted to shake off its gas guzzling reputation this week, unveiling its new biofuel prototype sports car at the North American Auto Show in Detroit.
The new F430 Spiderbiofuel prototype can run on up to 85 per cent ethanol and is more powerful than its gas predecessor, the company said. The concept car is part of a company wide green initiative from the sports car manufacturer designed to cut emissions from its cars by 40 per cent by 2012.
http://www.whatpc.co.uk/business-green/news/2207549/sustainable-fabric-rev-carsAfter making a frankly underwhelming start in the flat TV world, the time now finally seems right for Sony to start re-establishing the sort of dominance and association with quality that it once enjoyed with its Trinitron CRT TVs.
After all, the introduction of the first Bravia range marked a significant leap forward in Sony's flat TV quality, ambitions, and fortunes, so there's every reason to hope that the second generation of Bravias, as represented today by the KDL-40D3500, will advance things again.
First impressions, though, aren't spectacularly promising. For its design is totally uninspiring; just a boring dark rectangle for the most part, with the only ‘flourish' coming from a thin silver outer trim. Woo. Given the groovy designs now being delivered by Sony's Korean rivals, the Japanese brand really does need to start trying a little harder in the aesthetics department.
Connectivity is something of a mixed bag, too. On the downside, the set only carries two HDMIs when we increasingly like our large HD TVs to have three. But these HDMIs can, at least, take 1080p/24 feeds from Blu-ray players, and are joined by more or less everything else you'd expect of a modern TV, including component video and D-Sub VGA options.
The 40D3500's panel is a full HD affair, sporting a very striking claimed contrast ratio of 16,000:1 - the same figure as that quoted by Pioneer for its KURO plasma TVs, with their genuinely groundbreaking black levels. Crikey. If Sony has really managed to coax black levels out of an LCD TV that rival those of the leading plasma TV around, then the 40D3500 will really be something to talk about.
However, before we start to get too excited about this, we have to point out that inevitably, unlike with plasma technology, the 40D3500 can only claim a 16,000:1 contrast ratio by using a dynamic backlight system, whereby the backlight output (and therefore the image's brightness) is reduced when dark scenes are detected. The ‘native' contrast of the Sony panel with the dynamic backlight inactive is a rather more down to earth 1,800:1...
Synonyms and related keywords: chromosome 4p deletion syndrome, 4p- syndrome, monosomy 4p syndrome, Wolf syndrome, Pitt-Rogers-Danks syndrome, Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, mental retardation, seizures, distinct facial appearance, midline closure defects, congenital heart defect, marked growth failure, contracture of hands, contracture of wrists, contracture of feet, hypotrophic placenta, microcephaly, congenital hypotonia, hypoplasia of the cerebellum, agenesis of corpus callosum, microgyria, migration defects, hydrocephalus, frontal bossing, high frontal hairline, hemangioma, prominent glabella, hypertelorism, broad beaked nose, epicanthal folds, strabismus, coloboma, proptosis, ectopic pupils, exotropia, ptosis, microphthalmia, megalocornea, sclerocornea, hypoplastic anterior chamber, congenital nystagmus, Reiger anomaly, Reiger’s anomaly, hypodontia, chronic otitis media, atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, lung hypoplasia, diastasis recti, umbilical hernia, inguinal hernia, accessory spleen, hypoplastic kidney, cysticdysplastic kidneys, unilateral renal agenesis, cryptorchidism, hypospadias, hypoplastic müllerian derivatives, talipes equinovarus, cleft palate Cooper and Hirschhorn first documented Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome in 1961.1 They described a child with midline fusion defects, and subsequent cytogenetic studies revealed a chromosomal deletion of the short arm of chromosome 4. In 1965, back-to-back publications in Humangenetik by Hirschhorn et al and Wolf et al brought the disease to the attention of geneticists and other medical professionals.2, 3 Numerous cases were subsequently published. Clinical features include mental retardation, seizures, distinct facial appearance, and midline closure defects. Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome results from the deletion of the distal short arm of chromosome 4. Deletion of the terminal band (4p16.3) is essential for full expression of the phenotype. A large deletion several megabases (Mb) in length, easily detected using conventional chromosome analysis, is usually associated with severe phenotypic expression, including multiple malformations. However, a microdeletion of band 4p16.3, detected only by molecular probes, is usually associated with a milder phenotype without malformations. Most phenotypic manifestations in this syndrome reflect a contiguous gene syndrome, leading to a phenotypic map of chromosome arm 4p. However, similar genetic rearrangements in this syndrome may determine variable phenotypic effects, most likely as a consequence of allelic variation in the homologous 4p region. The former Pitt-Rogers-Danks syndromes, caused by overlapping 4p deletions, are now considered to be a part of Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. The incidence rate is estimated at 1 in 50,000 births. Mortality rate is estimated at 34% in the first 2 years of life. However, because many affected children die before the anomaly is diagnosed or suspected, the mortality rate is underestimated. The usual cause of death is a heart defect, aspiration pneumonia, infection, or seizure. Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome has no ethnic predilection. Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome is more common in females than in males, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:2. Usually, the condition is detected in the newborn period because of dysmorphic features.Background
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With a unique and innovative 'Crystallized' Rose-Red finish, Samsung have produced a desirable LCD TV of high style along with an impressive feature list.
The 650 series is due out this spring and employs an innovative manufacturing process to produce Samsung's trademark black gloss finish with a subtle hint of deep red.
Adding to the stylistic mix, the 650 series scores another industry first as the only flat panel TV to dispense with the use of either glue or screws in the manufacturing process.
With an impressive feature list, the 650 series is certainly no show boat. 120Hz processing is joined by 4 HDMI (v1.3) inputs along with Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. A claimed contrast ratio of 30,000:1 should make the 650 series a very interesting piece of kit.
No word yet on pricing, but Samsung's 650 series will be available in 40in, 46in and 52in models.
http://hdtvorg.co.uk/news/articles/2008011301.htmDesign
The KDL-46D3500 is the embodiment of Sony's design philosophy with a chic matte black understated presence that simply oozes class. Build quality is back to its very best with the Sony looking like it could have been sculpted from a solid block of metal.
Features
Unlike the KDL-40D3500, there is no corresponding 3000 model alongside the KDL-46D3500 in the UK. If you are familiar with the D3000 series from Sony it is worth noting that the 46D3500's spec sheet reads a little different than you would imagine.
Screen: 46in 16:9 Tuner: Digital Sound System: Nicam Resolution: 1920 x 1080 Contrast Ratio: 1800:1 (16,000 dynamic) Brightness: 500cd/m2 Other Features: Bravia Picture Processing Engine, Live Colour Creation, 24p True Cinema. Sockets: 2 HDMI, 2 SCART, Component Video, Composite Video, PC input.
Sony currently offer a huge range of LCD TV's and the number of different models can seem quite bewildering to those of you who are looking to buy a new LCD TV. The D3500 sits between the slightly higher spec V3000 series and directly above the slightly lower spec T3500 line.
Essentially, the D3500 gains 'True Cinema' over the T3500 but comes equipped with a slightly less sophisticated version of Sony's 'Bravia' picture processing engine than the V3000.
The 46D3500 comes equipped a Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution which can potentially give a marked improvement in the display of sources such as Sky Tv (1080i). The 1080 lines of resolution match the resolution of the screen negating the need for any picture scaling to fit. If you have a device which outputs pictures in the superior 1080p (e.g. Sony's PlayStation 3) the 3500 can accept those pictures in their full glory.
There is no 'Motionflow +100Hz' technology on the 46D3500 (featured on the 40D3000) which doubles the number of frames shown from 50 to 100 by interpolating an extra frame in between each source frame.
The KDL-46D3500 is equipped with '24p True Cinema' which enables the panel to display films at their intended 24fps (frames per second).
Alongside 24p True Cinema is Sony's 'Theatre Mode' technology which adjusts colour, contrast and brightness settings to makes movies look as authentic as the original.
It is worth mentioning that the 24p mode comes into its own with High Definition (Blu-ray or HD DVD) players which allow you to play movies at their original speed. The original 'cine' film is generally recorded at 24 frames per second, which in the absence of '24p True Cinema' is speeded up to 25 (standard for most TV's) frames per second with an accompanying increase in audio pitch.
Colour reproduction on the KDL-46D3500 should offer smoother transitions than previous Sony LCD's with a new 10-bit panel offering 1024 shades of gradation.
Theatre Sync, which is Sony's name for CEC (Consumer Electronic Control), is a control standard that functions over HDMI 1.3. The technology facilitates one-touch control over compatible devices and in practice means that if you fire up your compatible DVD player, the all connected devices such as your LCD TV will also spring into life.
Sonically, the KDL-46D3500 comes equipped with Sony's S-Force Front Surround which is their latest virtual surround sound technology.
http://www.hdtvorg.co.uk/reviews/lcd/sony_kdl-46d3500.htmThe good news is that despite the lack of 100Hz processing, the 40XF355D isn't plagued by motion smearing. OK, so there is a distinct loss of resolution when objects move across the screen, but it's no worse than the majority of current LCD TVs on the market.
Unfortunately, the slightly dull overall look remains when watching standard definition content. If you've got the patience to manually tweak this TV you can produce a brighter picture that doesn't make everyone look ill, but it's a tricky balance to achieve. To be fair, the standard Movie setting works well enough as long as the room is dark, but with an LCD you shouldn't have to dim the lights too much to get the best results.
When it comes to price it's clear that Toshiba feels that the 40XF355D is a premium product in its range and should therefore carry a premium price, which is understandable. However, with a street price of around £1,140, it's actually more expensive than the 42in Z series model that sits at the top of the range. Add to this the fact that the 42in Toshiba 42X3030D TV can be had for under £800, and the XF series really does start to look pricey.
Verdict
Nanowires that convert motion into current could lead to textiles that can generate power.
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| Power suit: Gold-plated zinc oxide nanowires (yellow), each about 3.5 micrometers tall, are grown on a flexible polymer fiber. The gold-plated nanowires brush against untreated nanowires (green), which flex and generate current. Yarn spun from the fibers could lead to fabrics that convert body movements into electric current. Credit: Z. L. Wang and X. D. Wang, Georgia Tech |
Georgia Tech researchers have taken an important step toward creating fabrics that could generate power from the wearer's walking, breathing, and heartbeats. The researchers, led by materials-science professor Zhong Lin Wang, have made a flexible fiber coated with zinc oxide nanowires that can convert mechanical energy into electricity. The fibers, the researchers say, should be able to harvest any kind of vibration or motion for electric current.
The zinc oxide nanowires grow vertically from the surface of the polymer fiber. When one fiber brushes against another, the nanowires flex and generate electric current. The researchers described a proof-of-concept yarn in a paper published this week in the journal Nature. They show that the output current increases by entwining multiple fibers to make the yarn.
By the researchers' calculations, a square meter of fabric made from the fibers could put out as much as 80 milliwatts--enough to power portable electronics. The development could make shirts and shoes that power iPods and medical implants, curtains that generate power when they flap in the wind, and tents that power portable electronics devices.
In 2007, Wang and his colleague the 2007 TR 35 winner Xudong Wang (no relation) built a zinc oxide nanowire array that generated direct current when exposed to ultrasonic vibrations. The piezoelectric nanowires stood on an electrically conducting substrate that acted as an electrode. The other electrode was a platinum-coated silicon plate with parallel peaks and trenches carved on its surface. (See "Nanogenerator Fueled by Vibrations.") When the ultrasonic waves pushed the electrodes together, the nanowires bent and produced current.
In the new work, the researchers have substituted the rigid, zigzag electrode with a flexible one. They convert some of the bendable fibers into electrodes by applying a thin layer of gold to them. These gold-plated fibers act as flexible electrodes.
The researchers entangle a gold-coated fiber with an uncoated fiber. When the fibers are pulled back and forth with respect to each other, the individual gold-plated nanowires push and bend the uncoated nanowires, generating current.
The flexibility of the fibers brings the idea of wearable, foldable energy sources closer to fruition, says Charles Lieber, a chemistry professor at Harvard University. The flexibility is also crucial for harvesting energy from extremely small ambient motion, says Thomas Thundat, who studies nanoscale biological sensors at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Entwining the flexible fibers, he explains, leads to very close contact between the gold-coated and the uncoated nanowires. As a result, small motions, such as a light wind or walking movements, make the coated and uncoated nanowires brush against each other and generate current.
When shopping for a new HDTV, it's always a good idea to consider your current and future video connection needs. Also keep in mind that viewing a high-definition video source on an HDTV set requires the use of a cable (and corresponding port) that supports high-definition signals. Sorry, folks, the yellow composite video port and the S-video port are for standard-definition video only! The High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is found on all modern HDTVs, and this all-digital interface has become the port of choice for connecting modern A/V gear. One of the primary benefits of HDMI is that it maintains the digital pathway between the source and display. This method avoids any image softening that usually results from digital-analog-digital conversions. If you must use analog video, though, the tried-and-true component-video input continues to be the analog HD (and SD) video connection of choice.
HDMI technology is also based upon a continuously updated spec, and the various versions of HDMI that have been developed so far have led to some confusion about which iteration is the best. For HDTVs the answer is simple: It doesn't matter. All versions of HDMI can support the maximum resolution of today's best HDTVs, which is 1080p.
Still, two features available in the more recent versions of HDMI may prove useful: Consumer Electronic Control (CEC) and lip-sync. A CEC-enabled television and connected source device can communicate via the HDMI connection. The beauty of this setup is that a source device (such as an HD disc player) could be placed out of sight, yet still receive remote-control commands as they are received by the television and passed along the HDMI connection. A lip-sync–enabled HDMI port on an HDTV takes into account any delays introduced by the TV's video processing and ensures the audio track is properly delayed, so what you see is aligned precisely with what you hear. Keep in mind that these extra features of the later HDMI versions are optional—not required. An HDTV equipped with HDMI v. 1.3a ports (the latest version available in televisions at press time) may support CEC but not lip-sync, or it may support neither. Check the specs carefully if certain HDMI features are critical for your needs.
HDMI's "one cable" solution for audio and video transport is certainly convenient, but it isn't always a flawless experience. One of most frequent complaints about HDMI in HDTVs relates to compatibility issues with other HDMI-enabled devices. I've experienced seemingly random losses of connection between HDMI-connected devices, or the initial "handshake" between two HDMI devices has failed, leaving the screen filled with DRM-induced snow (or nothing at all). A company called Simplay Labs offers an HDMI verification service that stamps any HDMI-enabled product that passes its tests with the "Simplay HD" logo. Television manufacturers such as Mitsubishi, Hitachi, Pioneer, HP, LG, and Samsung have all submitted various displays for "Simplay HD" verification, and the odds are pretty good that you won't experience any HDMI-related troubles when connecting devices that display this logo.—next: HDTV Minimum Viewing Distance >
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2704,2209815,00.aspThe Transition Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS) channel:
The Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) channel is optional to implement, but wiring is mandatory. The channel:
This feature is used in two ways:
An example of the latter is to allow the DVD player, when the drawer closes with a disk, to command the TV and the intervening A/V Receiver (all with CEC) to power-up, select the appropriate HDMI ports, and auto-negotiate the proper video mode and audio mode. No remote control command is needed. Similarly, this type of equipment can be programmed to return to sleep mode when the movie ends, perhaps by checking the real-time clock. For example, if it is later than 11:00 p.m., and the user does not specifically command the systems with the remote control, then the systems all turn off at the command from the DVD player.
Alternative names for CEC are Anynet (Samsung), Aquos Link (Sharp), BRAVIA Theatre Sync (Sony), Regza Link (Toshiba), RIHD (Onkyo), Simplink (LG) and Viera Link/EZ-Sync (Panasonic/JVC).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMIThe High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is a licensable compact audio/video connector interface for transmitting uncompressed digital streams. It represents the DRM alternative to consumer analog standards such as RF (coaxial cable), composite video, S-Video, SCART, component video and VGA, and digital standards such as DVI (DVI-D and DVI-I).
HDMI connects DRM-enforcing digital audio/video sources such as a set-top box, an HD DVD disc player, a Blu-ray Disc player, a personal computer, a video game console, or an AV receiver to a compatible digital audio device and/or video monitor such as a digital television (DTV). HDMI began to appear in 2006 on consumer HDTV camcorders and high-end digital still cameras.[1][2] Shipments of HDMI are expected to exceed that of Digital Visual Interface (DVI) in 2008, driven primarily by the Consumer Electronics (CE) Market| High-Definition Multimedia Interface | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Type | Digital audio/video connector | |||
| Production history | ||||
| Designer | The HDMI group | |||
| Designed | December 2002 | |||
| Manufacturer | Various | |||
| Produced | 2003 | |||
| Specifications | ||||
| Hot pluggable | Yes | |||
| External | Yes | |||
| Audio signal | PCM, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio | |||
| Video signal | 480i, 480p, 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p, 1440p, etc. | |||
| Bandwidth | 10.2 Gbit/s at 340 Mpixel/s | |||
| Pins | 19 | |||
| Pin out | ||||
 Type A (Female) HDMI | ||||
| Pin 1 | TMDS Data2+ | |||
| Pin 2 | TMDS Data2 Shield | |||
| Pin 3 | TMDS Data2– | |||
| Pin 4 | TMDS Data1+ | |||
| Pin 5 | TMDS Data1 Shield | |||
| Pin 6 | TMDS Data1– | |||
| Pin 7 | TMDS Data0+ | |||
| Pin 8 | TMDS Data0 Shield | |||
| Pin 9 | TMDS Data0– | |||
| Pin 10 | TMDS Clock+ | |||
| Pin 11 | TMDS Clock Shield | |||
| Pin 12 | TMDS Clock– | |||
| Pin 13 | CEC | |||
| Pin 14 | Reserved (N.C. on device) | |||
| Pin 15 | SCL | |||
| Pin 16 | SDA | |||
| Pin 17 | DDC/CEC Ground | |||
| Pin 18 | +5 V Power (max 50 mA) | |||
| Pin 19 | Hot Plug Detect | |||
HDMI supports, on a single cable, any TV or PC video format, including standard, enhanced or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio. It is independent of the various DTV standards such as ATSC, and DVB (-T,-S,-C), as these are encapsulations of the MPEG movie data streams, which are passed off to a decoder and output as uncompressed video data on HDMI. HDMI encodes the video data into TMDS for transmission digitally over HDMI.
Devices are manufactured to adhere to various versions of the specification, where each version is given a number, such as 1.0 or 1.3. Each subsequent version of the specification uses the same cables, but increases the throughput and/or capabilities of what can be transmitted over the cable. For example, previously, the maximum pixel clock rate of the interface was 165 MHz, sufficient for supporting 1080p at 60 Hz or WUXGA (1920x1200), but HDMI 1.3 increased that to 340 MHz, providing support for WQXGA (2560x1600) and beyond across a single digital link. See also: HDMI Versions.
HDMI also includes support for 8-channel uncompressed digital audio at 192 kHz sample rate with 24 bits/sample as well as any compressed stream such as Dolby Digital, or DTS. HDMI supports up to 8 channels of one-bit audio, such as that used on Super Audio CDs at rates up to 4x that used by Super Audio CD. With version 1.3, HDMI now also supports lossless compressed streams such as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.
HDMI is backward-compatible with the single-link Digital Visual Interface carrying digital video (DVI-D or DVI-I, but not DVI-A) used on modern computer monitors and graphics cards. This means that a DVI-D source can drive an HDMI monitor, or vice versa, by means of a suitable adapter or cable, but the audio and remote control features of HDMI will not be available. Additionally, without support for High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) on the display, the signal source may prevent the end user from viewing or recording certain restricted content.
PCs with hardware HDMI output may require software support from Operating Systems such as Windows Vista. Linux currently supports video output through backward-compatibility with DVI.
In the US, HDCP-support is a standard feature on digital TVs with built-in digital (ATSC) tuners. Among the PC-display industry, where computer displays rarely contain built-in tuners, HDCP support is absent from many models. For example, the first LCD monitors with HDMI connectors did not support HDCP, and few compact-LCD monitors (17" or smaller) support HDCP.
The HDMI Founders include consumer electronics manufacturers Hitachi, Matsushita Electric Industrial (Panasonic/National/Quasar), Philips, Sony, Thomson (RCA), Toshiba, and Silicon Image. Digital Content Protection, LLC (a subsidiary of Intel) is providing HDCP for HDMI. In addition, HDMI has the support of major motion picture producers Fox, Universal, Warner Bros., and Disney, and system operators DirecTV and EchoStar (Dish Network) as well as CableLabs and Samsung.
HDMI defines the protocol and electrical specifications for the signaling, as well as the pin-out, electrical and mechanical requirements of the cable and connectors.
The HDMI Specification has expanded to include three connectors, each intended for different markets.
The standard Type A HDMI connector has 19 pins, with bandwidth to support all SDTV, EDTV and HDTV modes and more. The plug outside dimensions are 13.9 mm wide by 4.45 mm high. Type A is electrically compatible with single-link DVI-D.
A higher resolution version called Type B is defined in HDMI 1.0. Type B has 29 pins (21.2 mm wide), allowing it to carry an expanded video channel for use with very high-resolution future displays, such as WQSXGA (3200x2048). Type B is electrically compatible with dual-link DVI-D, but is not in general use.
The Type C mini-connector is intended for portable devices. It is smaller than Type A (10.42 mm by 2.42 mm) but has the same 19-pin configuration.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI
