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IFA 2010: Behind the Sharp video wall...Article

As much as journalists like to think the world revolves around them, a significant part of IFA 2010 isnt the many press announcements, but when the doors open to dealers, buyers and the general public.

The press may contribute to promoting the products but IFA is all about selling stock and to shift product you need to impress way before the final handshake.

First impressions are vitally important, so this is why the way a companys booth looks is almost as important as the products on show.

Like performing peacocks, each booth tries to outsmart the other and one of the best on show this year was Sharp and its video wall.

Comprising 54, 60-inch PN-V601 TV panels the wall was a dazzling display of TV technology. The wall was three panels in width and 18 panels across and between each TV was a mere 6.5mm of room.

While 6.5mm is a tiny amount of thickness, this could be theoretically be reduced due to the complete lack of frame on the panels, but the reason it is there is to act as a cooling duct.

No breathing space means overheating panels and a real possibility the set-up would end up being a huge but useless glass structure.

If you add all the space between the panels together the is just 4cm gap in the whole setup.

To hold the panels in place, its not just some screws and sticky backed plastic but massive powerful magnets which make sure the whole structure stays exactly upright.

When it comes to showing content on the video wall, it is not simply the case of spinning a Blu-ray and connecting a BD player to the fist panel by HDMI, there is a complicated system of computers which make sure that each TV plays the right part of an image in time with the rest of the wall.

Alongside the calibration software, the image is piped through using DVI (working in three TV block clusters) and each monitor block is then given its own IP address and ethernet connection so if there is any lag, it can be logged and fixed instantly.

The size of the setup was breathtaking and so was the weight of the thing. Each panel weighed in at 45kg and the whole thing clocked in at six tonnes.

Surprisingly the whole thing took just two days to put together. This is mainly due to the size of the panels. The bigger the panels, the less you have to piece together.

Sharps 13ft x 7ft video wall will take some beating for sheer spectacle but considering Toshiba, Samsung and Sony had similar and just as impressive setups it just goes to show how much effort and planning is put into making IFA what it is.

Bring on the wall, indeed.

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 11:09:00 GMT By At http://www.techradar.com/

LG Optimus 7 Windows Phone 7 prototype flicks photos to TVs, laun...Article

We were a bit surprised to find LGs prototype Windows Phone 7 device for developers, soon to be unveiled officially as the Optimus 7 in its production form, hanging out in the wilds of IFA. Nevertheless, there it was, streaming DLNA content to a WiFi enabled TV. LG worked with Microsoft to develop a custom DLNA media sharing capability for its GW910 handset. Just one of the ways hardware partners are able to differentiate themselves on the otherwise locked down Windows Phone 7 platform. It certainly makes sense that LG would play to its strengths in the television industry as it moves to market with the device as early as next month according to our sources. Watch the trick flip-to-TV photo sharing interface in action after the break.

Continue reading LG Optimus 7 Windows Phone 7 prototype flicks photos to TVs, launches October

LG Optimus 7 Windows Phone 7 prototype flicks photos to TVs, launches October originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 07:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sat, 04 Sep 2010 07:10:00 EDT By Thomas Ricker At http://www.engadget.com/

Unannounced Sony Walkman NWZ-S754 unearthed at IFA...Article

The Walkman section of Sonys booth at IFA this week has an automatic information system that pops up specs on a central display for each model as you pull it away from its base, but there was one unknown model chilling out that popped up nothing more than a "coming soon" message when you yanked it out. What gives, Sony? Why the mystery and suspense? Why are you doing this to us? Well, a little digging through the menu system reveals that its the NWZ-S754, presumably the follow-on to last years S745. Given the lack of specs we werent able to glean much, but both the black and silver units on display were 8GB models; naturally, wed assume larger capacities are also in the cards when it launches. The display was contrasty enough so that were thinking it could be OLED, which would make sense -- they do OLED on a number of other Walkmen models already -- and the "Mickey Mouse effect" of the button layout has been diminished a bit. Thats good or bad, we suppose, depending on just how hardcore of a Disney fan you are. More details when we have em.

Unannounced Sony Walkman NWZ-S754 unearthed at IFA originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:50:00 EDT By Chris Ziegler At http://www.engadget.com/

Nikon wants to create a new market with its new concept...Article

We thought Nikon just wanted to join the burgeoning ranks of mirrorless interchangeable lens shooters that bridge the gap between full-fledged DSLR and pocket-friendly compact cameras. But oh no, as company president Makoto Kimura puts it, Nikon wants to create a whole "new market" with its next big idea. Noting that his lab lackeys have tested all sorts of eccentric possibilities, such as a head-mounted display, Kimura says its time for digital cameras to move with the times and Nikon will be ready to take up its usual leadership position. When might that be, you ask? Well, in classic bigwig style, he keeps the roadmap tucked firmly inside the breast pocket of his smoking jacket, but at least we know that Nikon wont be sitting on the sidelines and letting whippersnappers like Sonys NEX-5 steal customers away.

Nikon wants to create a new market with its new concept originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:25:00 EDT By Vlad Savov At http://www.engadget.com/

In Depth: Is internet piracy killing the magicians trade?...Article

Magic is experiencing something of a renaissance. Its online communities are thriving as wannabe Derren Browns rub shoulders with professionals. Once-struggling magic shops are thriving in new online incarnations as amateurs flock in to impress their friends or branch out into a lucrative new career.

Magicians themselves have even begun producing their own material for sale. On the surface, then, everything seems rosy in the world of the mystery arts. But magic relies on secrets, and one thing the internet cant keep is a secret.

For some professionals, the internet has given rise to a new fear - that of coming across a heckler who has seen how the trick is done on YouTube and is determined to ruin it for everyone.

The secrets out

Hang out with magicians for long enough and eventually the twin problems of internet exposure and piracy come up: "It is not a victimless crime," says magician Stephan Ward, speaking about magic piracy.

"Many of the creators rely on sales of their products to earn a living. There are a couple of examples where the creator cannot perform shows any more due to health reasons, so hes decided to make his secrets available to other performers. This makes the theft even more wrong."

The internet has transformed the magic scene into a multimillion pound industry, but life online has been both a blessing and curse for its practitioners. "I tend to work more on the corporate circuit now," says Ward, "but when I do perform at a bar or restaurant Ive had the problem of people either looking things up on their phone while you do the trick, or telling you they saw it on YouTube."

YOUTUBE MAGIC: YouTube videos might show you how tricks are done, but not how to perform them well

Rich Newman is a semi-professional magician who appears regularly at Bristols Illusions Magic Bar. "Ive never had someone actually find what Im doing on YouTube while Im at the table," he says, "but certainly afterwards Ive had people come up to me and say Is this right? Is this what you did? You have to use the old magicians trick and say, Can you keep a secret? Well, so can I! You have to keep schtum."

"I have a number of friends who are table workers," adds Paul Brook, a mindreader from Birmingham. "One of them went around the tables performing at a wedding recently and did a certain trick which is an astonishingly visual thing to see, but when he moved onto the next trick, someone at the same table had typed something into their iPhone and on YouTube there was the explanation. So he showed it to everyone while the guy was still working."

Brook has spent time investigating the quality of YouTube exposure videos and isnt impressed: "With YouTube, you wont be getting the whole trick. You get the bare bones and you wont look good performing something you learn on there."

PAUL BROOK: Paul Brook marks each copy of his work to help trace illegal copies

Instant piracy

Falling prices also mean that very small magic companies and even individuals can now produce professional DVDs for other magicians at a reasonable cost. But just like other forms of digital media, these discs are also difficult to protect from copying, as one prominent figure in the UK mentalism scene has discovered.

"My own DVD had been pirated within a week of its release and after only nine sales, all of which were to people I knew," says Dr Todd Landman, cofounder of Psycrets: The British Society of Mystery Entertainers, and organiser of the societys bi-annual Tabula Mentis conference. "As a result my new book project is printed and secretly marked, and available in hard copy only to avoid ebook file sharing," he says.

MAGIC PIRACY: Dr Todd Landman had his own magic DVD pirated after just nine sales

Piracy and exposure can even bar well known performers from entry into magic societies: "Our rules forbid members from engaging in exposure," says Dr Landman. "In fact we denied entry to a top mentalist from Canada who has openly exposed crucial secrets of our craft online."

Pirates should perhaps be wary of downloading stolen material for another reason. Some creators of new magic tricks deliberately seed file-sharing networks with corrupted versions of their material. The person downloading and learning it might think hes about to stun his friends, but the creator is actually playing an elaborate trick on him that will make him look stupid.

This is an approach thats catching on, but others simply mark each copy of their work so that they can tell who the upload has come from. "Part of the approach I take to piracy of the material I sell commercially is to mark each copy so that I can at least backtrack," says Brook.

"One of my books is over 600 pages long, and youd think it was safe from piracy, but it wasnt. Doing a search on various filesharing sites, I came across it. I thought it was one of the ones that Id put there to fool people, but no, someone had scanned all those pages. You have to wonder at someone who spends all that money on a 600-page book and then thinks: Im going to scan that bad boy in".

The dealers view

Costas Damianou runs the Magic Tau online store. Willful sharing of secrets that may have cost the person sharing them a considerable amount of money to buy makes him genuinely angry.

"A while back I heard that a friends books were being pirated, so I decided to conduct an experiment," he says. Within just 20 minutes he had found online copies of DVDs, books and lecture notes with a commercial value of thousands of pounds. "A few of these had only been released a few hours before," says Damianou.

"This means that someone went to the expense of buying them and then giving them all away for free." But such people seem to think they are some kind of hero or modern day Robin Hood.

Whats Damianous message to them? "Let me tell you something for nothing," he says. "You are not taking from the rich and giving to the poor, you are a thief giving to other thieves and freeloaders. Anyone who uses these sites is not only breaking the law; they also have no right to call themselves a magician. We have ethics in magic and we do not steal from our peers."

TALK MAGIC: Some members of the TalkMagic forum have gone on to find commercial success

Some pirates see so little wrong with what theyre doing that theyll even brag to the people it hurts: "I have heard customers say that they will never buy a magic DVD as they can get it for free either by downloading it or getting a copy from a friend," says Damianou.

"This being said directly to the retailer shows how much people dont see that what theyre doing is harming the industry."

Sharing success

Piracy apart, a mark of just how popular magic has become is that online magic forums are thriving. Theyre community sites where magicians, the creators of the tricks they perform and even magic dealers can be found debating the latest techniques and swapping ideas.

Paul Stevens is the chief moderator at Talk Magic, one of the UKs largest online magic forums. "The development of Talk Magic, along with other discussion boards, has certainly affected the art of magic," he says.

"Many newcomers display great enthusiasm but are quickly disappointed to find that the real secret to magic is practice, presentation, hard work and commitment. Anything less results in very poor magic and annoyed spectators."

This is something that resonates with Rich Newman. "Magic is very expensive," he says. "Its one of the most expensive and disappointing hobbies there is. You see something and go WOW! but then you get the trick and go Oh, because theres a lot of work to fit it into your routine and your personality."

COSTLY BUSINESS: As a semi-professional, Rich Newman struggles with magics expense

For those willing to put the hours in, however, fame and fortune could beckon, as Stephens confirms: "Many of our members have gone on to commercial success either in terms of performing or releasing their own work to great acclaim."

"I really like the fact that some of the forums have well-known magicians that will interact with other members," adds Ward. "And the dealers too - it is possible to ask any questions about their products and voice any concerns. Its also nice to talk to other professionals, exchange ideas and give a few tips to non-pros and people who are new to magic."

A vital aspect to magic forums is the review section. Reviews are posted by members, and can make or break a new trick. "Using a method or trick in the real world is a lot different to using it in your bedroom, so I always like it when you hear of workers giving their views of how it all pans out in the field," says Ward.

"One aspect [of Talk Magic] Im particularly pleased to see," says Stephens, "is the rise and development of regional meetings. Not content with just sitting in front of a keyboard and chatting online, several groups of members have arranged to meet - usually in a pub somewhere - and share their art with each other as well as the public."

This is a great idea, but if youre meeting in a pub for an afternoon of vanishing coins, finding cards, reading thoughts or hypnosis, its a good idea for someone to ask the landlord or manager if its OK before you begin. Having attended several such meetings, Ive witnessed first hand staff ejecting magicians after becoming worried that their activities might constitute a performance, which under some bylaws can require a licence.

Despite all the potential pitfalls, though, theres no doubt that the internet has altered the practice of magic for good, and no amount of trickery will change that.

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT By At http://www.techradar.com/

Review: Elgato Turbo.264 HD Software Edition...Article

Elgato has released Turbo.264 HD Software Edition which is a software-only version of its hardware accelerated video encoder in response to customer demand.

Designed to convert video for use on an iPod, iPhone, Apple TV or other device, this Software Edition is identical to the app bundled with the hardware dongle. Its easy to use. Just browse to or drag-and-drop a video file and select an output format.

It can handle most popular video formats, converts VIDEO_TS, the format used by DVD video discs, but wont rip an encrypted DVD. Its not as configurable as Handbrake (a free app), but settings can be customised.

Testing results

In our tests, on a 3.2GHz Core-i3 iMac, Handbrake converted our five minute test video to iPod format in 86 seconds. Turbo.264 HD Software Edition took 57 seconds, with the hardware version a second quicker.

On a 2GHz Core 2 Duo iMac, Handbrake took 173 seconds with Software Edition converting in 115 seconds, and the hardware-assisted version in 81 seconds - the less powerful your Mac, the greater benefits of Turbo.264 HD.

With no upgrade path for Software Edition users, you might prefer to dive straight in and buy the hardware version, which is available for £90 on Amazon. As well as being quicker, it takes the load off your processor if youre using your Mac.

For the lighter user, the Software Edition offers advantages over free alternatives.

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Sat, 04 Sep 2010 09:00:00 GMT By At http://www.techradar.com/

Review: M-Audio Axiom 49 keyboard...Article

Any MIDI keyboard can make your copy of GarageBand or Logic come to life. But in a crowded market of bargain-priced boards you need something with that little bit extra. M-Audios Axioms have been around for years and last year the new Pro line added the ability to control your software directly from buttons on the keyboard.

This feature has now filtered down to the more affordable Axiom 61 (£305), 49 (this model) and 25 (£195). So, rather than have your mouse in one hand while your other belts out Bach, you can pretty much forget your computer and get on with making music.

Its amazing how simple additions such as dedicated buttons for stop, play and record speed up your workflow, and tweaking synthesizers and effects with dedicated knobs finally feels like grappling with an antique Moog. (Antique Moog plug-in not supplied.)

DirectLink

Its M-Audios DirectLink thats the star. A quick install and the Axiom found our Logic setup (we had similar success with GarageBand and Ableton Live too), and all the obvious features such as track levels and pan appeared on the keyboards controls.

And if you use complex third-party plugs, you can get locked into the world of control changes and make any dial do anything in your DAW. It works too, and after grappling with controllers that promised the earth only to glitch and grump, thats the biggest praise we can give.

The Axioms keyboard is ultra-expressive semi-weighted, but this amounts to it being very firmly sprung in the initial stages and rather clacky and weak when depressed. However, the large angular profile does help fool the senses into thinking youre pressing something more piano-like.

The drum pads are well-sized but spongy. Likewise, the rest of the rubberised controls require a good push to operate.

That said, compared to the frail plastic on other keyboards, this is much more gig-resistant. Youre paying for something just that little bit more pro here, but its worth the extra.

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Sat, 04 Sep 2010 08:30:00 GMT By At http://www.techradar.com/

Tim Allen Gets A New Job: Chevy Spokesman...Article

Starting this Tuesday, youll start actually recognizing the voice behind TV ads for General Motors Chevrolet line of cars. The man who used to be a huge TV star will now just be in TV commercials....

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 10:04:13 +0000 By Unknown At http://www.i4u.com/

Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat enters beta ahead of October 10 rel...Article

Ubuntu version 10.10 is about to come out on 10/10/2010 and score a perfect 10 out of 10 with reviewers. Or so the devs hope. The successor to Aprils Lucid Lynx has this week shrugged off the alpha label and stridden bravely into the world of beta software. GUI modifications are of course apparent, along with performance tweaks promising even faster boot times, but on the whole it doesnt look to be as big a leap as there was between the Lynx and Koala versions. The default photo management program is now Shotwell, replacing F-Spot, and theres an update to the Software Center allowing you to purchase paid-for Linux programs in an App Store-ish sort of way. Nothings available to buy yet, but the plan is for that feature to go live with the final launch in October. The most intriguing thing about this Meerkat for us just might be the Unity desktop interface, which is now the default for Ubuntu Netbook Edition. If youre unafraid of beta-stage bugs (and small furry mammals), you can hit the source link to try it out.

Continue reading Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat enters beta ahead of October 10 release

Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat enters beta ahead of October 10 release originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:10:00 EDT By Vlad Savov At http://www.engadget.com/

Its Official: Borderlands Developer Takes Over Duke Nukem Forever...Article

There are some things that just make you stop and wonder: "Is this the beginning of the end?" Things like global warming, widespread war and poverty, and - of course - the mystifying popularity of Twilight. And then there are things that make you quit your job and spend all your money on a tour of the worlds greatest steakhouses, because - damn it all - the four horsemen of the apocalypse are banging down your door right now. Thing numero uno? Duke Nukem Forevers rapidly approaching release date.

Yep, you read that correctly. Duke Nukem Forevers landing on shelves this time. For real. The reason? Gearbox Software - they of Borderlands and Brothers in Arms fame - have started cracking the whip on Dukes notoriously meandering development cycle, and theyre making sure the game finally waltzes out the door in time for a 2011 release.

"Its coming in 2011. Its coming in 2011. Its absolutely going to come, and we will have it shipped. We brought you Borderlands last year. We know what were doing. Its coming on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and Windows PC," said Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford during the big unveiling. 

But this is Duke Nukem Forever were talking about. What reason do you have to believe theres not just another 12 year delay waiting around the corner to ambush you the second you get your hopes up? Well, the games playable at the Penny Arcade Expo, for one. Right now. Look! Here are some videos! You can watch (or read about) Duke Nukem taking a nice, relieving pee this very moment. Let it soothe your fears just as it soothes him.

Ewww. That was a pretty weird sentence. Good thing the apocalypse is happening any day now, or wed probably never live it down. On that note, were making our exit. Weve got steakhouses to tour, after all.

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 08:54:44 +0000 By Nathan Grayson At http://www.maximumpc.com/