Staff Writers

The SNC- CM120 Megapixel Network Camera is designed for use in security applications and the picture quality captured by the 1.3 megapixel camera is suitable for building entrances and parking lots, where detailed images, such as people’s faces and car license plates, are required.

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The camera incorporates an advanced progressive scan CCD with ExwavePRO technology, providing clear and detailed images for surveillance monitoring applications.

Unlike conventional network cameras that incorporate progressive scan CCDs with primary colour filters, these cameras use a complementary colour filter to provide bright and high-resolution images, even in dimly lit environments, which is a common requirement for surveillance monitoring.  
 
In addition, the unit is first to features Sony’s unique ‘Light Funnel’ technology which combines image data gathered from multiple horizontally and vertically aligned pixels to provide extremely bright image output, even when monitoring moving objects. This function can be activated automatically in response to surrounding light conditions or on a pre-specified time schedule. 

Features such as a Day/Night mode setting that provides extremely bright images, even when monitoring objects during challenging settings such as dusk and in dimly lit environments; variable gamma settings that help to capture high-contrast images; bi-directional  audio options; a slow shutter mode for additional bright image output; voice alert function for pre- recorded audio files; and solid PTZ which allows users to conserve bandwidth by viewing images at lower resolutions.
The camera also features dual streaming capability at a frame rate of up to 30fps. 
 

Epson has made a breakthrough entry into the sign and display market with the launch of the Stylus Pro GS6000, a 64-inch eight colour photo quality printer that usues UltraChrome GS, a new solvent-based ink.

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The UltraChrome GS ink is nickel-free and has fewer harmful VOC (volatile organic compounds) than other solvent based inks. Prints made with UltraChrome GS ink are virtually odourless, eliminating the need for expensive ventilation and air purification systems to protect the operators.

The colour accuracy is made possible by the addition of orange and green inks which significantly expand the gamut beyond the colour range of both 4 and 6 colour ink sets. Important corporate colours and ultra-vibrant images not previously seen from a solvent based printer can now be reproduced with the UltraChrome GS ink.
The Stylus Pro GS6000 is equipped with a newly developed Dual-Array Micro-Piezo print head with 360 nozzles per colour for extremely fast print speeds producing variable sized ink droplets between 3.7 and 20 picolitres, depending on speed and quality options selected.

Unlike other solvent printers on the market which require daily maintenance, the Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 has been designed to further reduce maintenance down time. The Advanced Cleaning System built into the GS6000 maintains optimum performance of both the ink and print head, reducing the need for daily maintenance when the printer is in constant use.

The Stylus Pro GS6000 has high capacity – 950ml – ink cartridges, efficient media handling capabilities, and no special dryers are required for printing.
The  UltraChrome GS ink also accommodates a wide range of leading solvent media for a vast array of commercial printing applications, including indoor and outdoor banners, billboards, construction and barricade signs, retail point-of-sale display’s and photographic tradeshow graphics, where high quality images and precise, accurate colour is essential.

Print speeds;
o Up to 25 sqm/hour in banner-quality, draft mode.
o Up to 15 sqm/hr in everyday production mode.
o Up to 9 sqm/hour in photo quality, production mode.

The Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 will be available from selected authorised Epson professional graphics dealers in October 2008 at a price to be announced.

See www.epson.com.au

Based on the latest Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system the JASJAR sports a full suite of productivity enhancing tools, and a host of dynamic multi-media services, says the company.

The design includes a 180 degree swivel screen allowing the user to use the device like a PDA or a mini notebook. The 3.6″ 640×480 VGA transflective touch sensitive screen or you can use the built in QWERTY keyboard for data input.

An impressive selection of connectivity options includes tri-band GSM/GPRS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth as well as support for 3G (UMTS) mobile networks. The device automatically switches to the best network mode available.

Powered by the 520MHz Intel xScale processor and with 128MB of permanent memory, expansion is via an SD card slot. A dual lens 1.3 megapixel still/video camera, built-in flash and dual loudspeakers for stereo sound round, out the hardware features.

General Manager of i-mate Australasia, Ben Hodgson said: “Our customers have high expectations and rightly so. We are confident the i-mate JASJAR is the complete package. It’s an awesome device with extensive software and market leading support as standard. As an end to end solution, this is hard to beat.”

Using the 180 degree swivel screen in the notebook style format, the orientation automatically adjusts to landscape to make best use of the screen real estate.

Picture and Video Viewer, Microsoft PowerPoint Mobile & ClearVue PDF Viewers, Outlook Mobile, Windows Media Player, Internet Explorer, MSN Messenger, Word Mobile and Excel Mobile all come standard with the device.

Skype (VoIP), CA eTrust Antivirus are also bundled as is access to Club i-mate which offers things like free hosted Microsoft Exchange e-mail, interactive games and upgrade patches.

Available from mid October, i-mate has not announced pricing for the new device.

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Logitech has unveiled its first Mac-compatible webcam with premium autofocus technology and Carl Zeiss optics: the Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro webcam for Mac. 

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The new Logitech webcam is designed to deliver image-perfect detail and clarity, and video calling with iChat and Skype.
To deliver image-perfect detail and clarity, the Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro webcam for Mac combines Logitech’s premium autofocus technology with Carl Zeiss optics.

The new Logitech webcam uses a voice coil motor for its autofocus system, instead of a stepper motor. Focusing is fast and fluid – crisp even in extreme close-ups only 10 cm from the camera lens.

Logitech’s autofocus system compensates for changes in image-edge sharpness and refocuses images in less than three seconds. And through its exclusive collaboration with Carl Zeiss, Logitech ensures that the lens meets the world-renowned Zeiss standards for design and manufacturing to achieve superior sharpness in a compact, lightweight design.

The 2-megapixel sensor helps the Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro webcam for Mac capture video images in high resolution. It is assisted by Logitech’s RightLight 2 Technology, which enables the webcam to adjust intelligently in dim or harshly backlit situations.

Users can enjoy VGA-quality video at up to 30 frames per second – four times as sharp and twice as smooth as any other video-calling solution – at no additional charge.

The new Logitech webcam is also plug and play right out of the box, so you can make a video call immediately – no software required. When using your webcam to capture video to store on disk or send to friends, the QuickCam Vision Pro records sharp video clips in the 720p high-definition (HD) video format (960-by-720 pixels).

Complementing the style of your Mac computer, the new webcam for Mac computers presents a black-and-silver profile with a prominent built-in silver microphone.
The Logitech QuickCam Vision Pro webcam RRP is $179.95 (inc GST).

Apart from being financial reporting season, it seems it also suing season as not only is Nokia and Qualcomm along with a bevy of many other tech firms lining the pockets of their lawyers, but now it seems Motorola has decided Apple has stolen IP from it used in the iPhone and taking court action.

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Basically, Motorola is accusing one of Apple’s executives of stealing trade secrets, claiming, that with the knowledge he gained whilst working at Motorola, he held trade secrets that helped launch Apple’s iPhone.

Michael Fenger, who left his position as vice president of Motorola’s mobile device business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, in March, was quickly gobbled up by Apple and promptly promoted into the position of Apple’s vice president for global iPhone sales.

But according to Motorola, “He was privy to the pricing, margins, customer initiatives, allocation of resources, product development, multiyear product, business and talent planning and strategies being used by Motorola.”

The company also says Fenger “violated a clause in his contract which prevented him working for a rival firm for two years”.

Now these kind of ‘no work for rival firms’ clauses are notorious for being as water-tight as a sieve in legal terms as they basically amount to a restriction of trade, but one cant help but to feel sorry for Motorola, as the company has enough problems in the smartphone space without watching its rivals get all the glory and then some.

However, Motorola doesn’t seem to be going after Apple itself as it is not named as a defendant in the case, and it looks like it is only Fenger whose blood they want.

That maybe a smart move in terms of any future collaboration between the two companies, who have a long history in collaborating in the hardware space, however, one assumes that Fenger will be spending a lot of time in court and a lot less time thinking up of innovative marketing ideas for his new employer.

Perhaps that was the idea by Motorola all along?

According to a report in techworld.com, Hewlett-Packard (HP) researchers have discovered the existence of a “memristor,” the fourth circuit element in electrical engineering.

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The researchers said memristors can lead to computer systems with memories that are not erased when power is lost, do not need to be booted up, are very low-power hungry, and, associate information “in a manner similar to that of the human brain.”

The HP researchers also said that memristor-based computers could help the momentum toward “cloud computing,” in which applications and data are stored throughout many servers in-house, or on the Internet and could lead to a new kind of computer memory that could complement or even replace the common DRAM which does not store information when the power is off.

Memristor-based memory can also lead to fundamentally different ways of using computer memory – memristor technology can recall and make associations between events that are similar to how a human brain recognises patterns.

HP said that this enhanced ability to deal with patterns could “allow computers to makes decisions based on past data. This might include, for instance, the development of a more intelligent microwave that knows the heating times that you prefer for different kinds of foods”.